Sink or Swim
by Summer4Girl
Summary: After spending a year away at Beauxbaton Academy, Victoire is forced to return back home and face the demons that drove her away and confront the friends she left behind. After his best friend spent a year away, Teddy is excited to see his old friend. Too bad the new Victoire is nothing like the little girl he grew up with.
1. Castle Walls

_Everyone thinks that I have it all_

_But it's so empty living behind these castle walls_

_These castle walls_

_If I should tumble if I should fall_

_Would any one hear me screaming behind these castle walls_

_There's no-one here at all, behind these castle walls_

**_-Christina Aguilera_**

* * *

Victoire Weasley stared at the card in her hands, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. For her birthday, Teddy had sent her an old picture that she had never seen before. It was taken years ago on a hot summer day at Shell Cottage. She and Teddy were sitting side by side on the dock, their feet dangling over the lake water. Teddy was scrunching up his face in concentration, forcing his hair to change colors, while Victoire watched in amazement, a small giggle escaping her. She must have been five or six in that picture, which meant Teddy was only seven or eight. They were so innocent back then, unaware of all the cruel things the world had to offer. She sighed, wishing she could go back to that day...before everything had changed...before everything had gone so terribly wrong...back when they were just Teddy and Victoire: best friends...

"What's that?" Dominique asked nosily, snatching the card from her sister's hands.

Victoire shrugged. "Just a birthday letter from Teddy."

Dominique glanced at the card before carelessly throwing it on the bed. "That was nice of him."

Victoire turned around, staring at her reflection in the mirror. "Yeah, it was."

"So, what time's the party?" Dominique wondered, smearing on Victoire's red lipstick.

Victoire glanced at her sister, gently brushing out the tangles in her hair. "Red's not your color, Doms. Go for a more natural look."

Dominique held up a nude colored lipgloss, and Victoire nodded her approval. "So, will this color look good for the party tonight?" Dominique asked.

Victoire raised her eyebrows. "It would...too bad you're not invited."

"Vic!" Dominique protested. "I'm thirteen! I should be able to go! I'm not a child anymore."

Victoire shook her head. "I don't want you to get into any trouble. Now, go to bed. You have an early class tomorrow."

Dominique glared at her sister. "This is so not fair! How come you get to go?"

"Because it's _my _birthday party," she said simply, flipping her hair back. A few giggling girls appeared in Victoire's doorway, whispering for her to hurry up in French. "Good _night_, Dominique," Vic said seriously, signaling for her to go to bed. As Dominique crawled into her bed grumbling, Victoire tiptoed after her friends. She glanced back at Dominique once more pityingly, before sighing and traipsing after the giggling group of girls.

* * *

What many people didn't know about Beauxbaton Academy was that it was hidden smack-dab in the middle of a bustling muggle town. Most of the muggles in town took one look at the manicured lawns of the school and the enormous palace with its students roaming the grounds in their silky blue uniforms, and they brushed it off, thinking it was just another boarding school for the rich and snobby.

Sometimes it was difficult keeping the magic hidden, especially when a few of the older students snuck into the stables and stole away on the flying horses; but ultimately the forests and gardens surrounding the school concealed the magic pretty well.

One of the reasons Victoire loved Beauxbaton Academy was because she had mastered the art of sneaking in and out of the castle. Victoire loved sneaking into clubs and snogging muggle boys that she would never see again. She knew it was wrong, and she knew it made people perceive her as a bit of a slag, but she didn't care. She loved the rush and thrill she got from breaking the rules.

For the longest time, she couldn't feel anything. She just walked through life numbly, unaware and unfeeling, talking to the same narrow minded people with their mindless chatter. But sneaking around and breaking the rules...for the first time, she actually felt something. It was scary and thrilling, but most importantly, it was _real_. It was the only real emotion she felt, the only real thing that made her feel alive nowadays. So, in the end, she didn't care what people thought of her as long as she continued getting that thrill, that rush, that one sensation that made her come alive again.

So, as she tiptoed across the gardens and forests of the school grounds and scampered into town with a band of obnoxious teenagers, her heart pounded and her breathing became slightly shaky. Any second they could get caught or attacked by some crazy beast hidden in the forest. It was absolutely terrifying, but she loved every second of it.

"Victoire," a husky voice with a heavy accent said, "save me a dance?"

She turned to find Pierre LeBlanc beside her. She gave him her most dazzling smile, channeling the veela in her, and he stumbled back a bit. "Bien sûr! Of course!" she exclaimed.

He grinned. "I'll see you inside," he said, leading their friends inside the club that was blasting loud French rap.

Élisabeth Étoile nudged Victoire. "So, Pierre, huh?"

Victoire shrugged, eyeing the skinny boy with sleek brown hair. "Maybe...if I can't find anybody else..."

Élisabeth shook her head with an amused grin. "Don't you ever just want to settle down?"

Victoire glanced at her friend. "I'm not even fifteen yet. It's a tad early to be thinking about settling down, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well, don't you ever want a real relationship?" Elisabeth pressed.

Victoire looked around the crowded club where blokes kept "accidentally" rubbing up against her. "Je ne crois pas. Not with anybody here..."

"Then with who?" Elisabeth exclaimed. Victoire frowned, because for some reason Teddy Lupin's face popped up in her head. She couldn't understand why at that exact moment she had been thinking about Teddy.

Élisabeth checked her watch. "Only a few minutes until your birthday and you'll officially be fifteen!" she cheered.

Victoire smiled. "Well, then, I think two shots are in order!" She motioned to the bartender, and he brought them two small glasses full of alcohol.

The two girls laughed, downing the entire glass before shimmying onto the dancefloor. Victoire was on her third glass of champagne and dancing with a fit muggle boy when the music suddenly stopped. Élisabeth and Pierre were on stage, looking slightly tipsy.

"Oh, no," murmured Victoire.

"Excusez-moi!" Élisabeth exclaimed, tapping the microphone. "Can I have everybody's attention?" She paused, looking around the crowded club. When she finally spotted Victoire, she grinned. "At midnight, it'll officially be my friend Victoire's birthday."

All of Victoire's friends cheered as a spotlight landed on her. Victoire felt her face burn, but she did just as her mother taught her. She beamed and waved, and acted the part.

Pierre cleared his throat. "It'll be her birthday in five...four...three...two...joyeux anniversaire, Victoire!" he shouted, holding up his glass. Victoire cheered, gulping down her champagne.

The muggle boy beside her, pulled her close. "Joyeux anniversaire, _Victoire_," he mumbled, before pressing his lips against her. Victoire kissed him back, and when she pulled away, she glanced back at the stage. Pierre was staring at her, holding broken glass.

"Victoire," Élisabeth exclaimed, tugging on her arm.

"What?" Victoire snapped, her arms still around the muggle boy's neck.

"Votre sœur est ici!" Élisabeth whispered frantically.

"What? Dominique's here!" Victoire looked around the crowded club. "Cet imbécile! Has she lost her mind?"

"I don't know, but somebody just saw Madame Rousseau here too...we have to go!"

Victoire pulled away from the bloke in her arms. "I have to find Dominique first!" She and Élisabeth pushed through the dancing couples, shouting Dominique's name.

"Wait! I never got your number!" the muggle boy called after her in a thick accent.

Victoire pulled aside a group of blokes from Beauxbaton. "Elle est ici. Sortir!" Their eyes widened, and Victoire watched as they raced out of the club back to the school. She turned to her best friend. "Élisabeth, you go too," she said, pushing her friend toward the door.

"What about Dominique?"

Victoire shook her head. "I'll find her..."

Élisabeth gave her one last panicked look before scurrying after the other kids from Beauxbaton. Victoire cursed under her breath as she searched the club for her little sister. "Dominique!" Victoire hissed, spotting her little sister flirting with an older bloke.

"Victoire!" Dominique beamed, waving at her sister. "This is Frederick."

Victoire grabbed her sister's arm. "She's thirteen, perv," she snarled at the boy talking to Dominique.

"Vic!" Dominique protested.

"Madame Rousseau is here. We have to go." Victoire started to pull her sister away, but a cold hand on her shoulder made her freeze.

"Well, don't leave on my account," a sharp voice behind her said.

Victoire turned around slowly. "Madame Rousseau!" she said cheerily. "Funny running into you here..."

"Dans mon bureau. Allez." She pointed to the door, her cold grey eyes piercing into Victoire's furiously.

Victoire and Dominique exchanged miserable looks before following Madame Rousseau out the door.

* * *

"Avez-vous perdu votre esprit? Je ne peux pas avoir un étudiant faufiler. C'est la dernière paille, Victoire Weasley. Et pour faire glisser votre petite soeur dans tout cela? Je veux vous sortir de cette école! Out!"

Victoire glanced sideways at her parents as Madame Rousseau paced around her office shouting. Fleur was frowning, occasionally throwing Victoire a dirty look. Bill was staring at Madame Rousseau with a confused expression. Over the years, he'd improved his French greatly, but it still wasn't perfect. It was difficult for him to understand fluent French, especially when it was spoken so quickly and shrilly. Dominique was sitting beside her, looking pale. Victoire, despite her anger, reached out and put her arm around her sister. Dominique had never gotten into trouble before. Victoire, on the other hand, practically lived in the headmistress's office.

"Madame Rousseau, I hate to interrupt," Bill said, clearing his throat, "but I-I can't really understand French quite as well as my wife..."

Madame Rosseau removed her glasses as she glared at Bill. "This is ze last straw, Mr. Weasley. I can not have Victoire in my school anymore."

"Just for sneaking out!" Fleur exclaimed.

"No, for drinking in ze bathrooms, having boys in her room, breaking curfew, sneaking out...Mrs. Weasley, ze list just goes on! I have no choice but to expel your daughter. After ze end of this year, Victoire will not be invited back to Beauxbaton Academy."

"What!" I cried. "Where am I supposed to go?"

"You should have thought about zat before sneaking into a club! A _club_! You're not even of age!" Madame Rousseau exclaimed. "We have standards here at Beauxbaton Academy. We expect ze best from our students."

"Is there anything we can do to fix this?" Bill asked urgently.

Madam Rousseau glared at him. "You're lucky I'm not expelling _both _your daughters."

"No, don't do that!" Victoire exclaimed. "Dominique had nothing to do with this. She didn't even want to come...I-I was the one who forced her into going!"

"You did what?" Bill barked, his eyes flashing. Victoire flinched. It was rare for her dad to ever get truly angry with her.

"You took your thirteen year old sister to _a club?_" Fleur said, her voice quivering with fury.

Victoire gulped. She pinched her sister to keep her from opening her mouth. "Yes," Victoire said boldly. Dominique looked like she wanted to protest, but Victoire kept pinching her. "It's all my fault. Dominique really shouldn't be expelled...or punished at all, actually..."

Madame Rousseau sat down, considering this. "Dominique _is_ one of our brightest students..."

"And she's never gotten into trouble before this," Victoire added.

"Detention every Saturday until ze end of term," Madame Rousseau compromised. "Now get into bed before I change my mind."

Dominique looked uncertainly at Victoire, but Victoire nodded encouragingly at her. Dominique got up slowly and left the giant office with a small wave to her parents.

Fleur shook her head. "I cannot believe you got your innocent sister into zis..." She turned to look at her daughter. "_What is wrong with you?"_

Madame Rousseau cleared her throat. "Who else was at that club tonight, Ms. Weasley."

Victoire thought of Pierre jumping up on stage to wish her happy birthday and Elisabeth's panicked face as she warned her to get out. "Nobody," Victoire lied easily. Madame Rousseau looked as if she didn't believe her, but she knew better than to argue.

"Very vell," she said crisply, getting up.

"Wait!" Fleur cried, jumping out of her seat. "Vat about Victoire? You can't expel her!"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Weasley. I understand you were one of our best students in your day, but zat can't make up for your daughter. She's just not vat Beauxbaton Academy is looking for. Je suis désolé."

"So...after this year I'm done?" Victoire asked her in disbelief.

Madame Rousseau sighed, rubbing her temples. For the first time, Victoire realized how old and tired the headmistress was. It was a little unsettling to see someone that always looked so stern and powerful look so worn out and weak. "I'm sorry, Victoire, but there's nothing I can do," Madame Rousseau said quietly.

"Come on," Bill said gruffly, "You mother and I will walk you to your dorm."

Victoire gulped, but followed her parents out the office. As she guessed, her parents yelled at her the entire way down. Her mother was always yelling at her, so Fleur didn't mind much. It was the look on her father's face that really got to her.

"'Ow could you do zat to Dominique?" Fleur demanded, her beautiful face twisting into a furious sneer.

"I'm sorry about getting Doms into trouble, but I'm not apologizing for anything else," Victoire told her mother stubbornly.

Her mother scoffed. "Excuse me? You're not going to apologize for all ze drinking and lying and sneaking around? Oh, if only your grandmuzzer knew about zis...vat vould she think! A Delacour heir behaving in such a..._barbaric..._manner...'Ow could you do zis to our family name?"

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Sorry I'm such a disgrace to the family."

"That's not what your mother meant," Bill told her sharply, "but we're not going to lie and say we're not disappointed."

Victoire flipped her hair back. "I was just celebrating my birthday."

Fleur grabbed Bill's arm. "Bill, vat vill we do? No school will accept her after this!"

"We have no choice...we have to send her back to Hogwarts," Bill said rationally.

Fleur considered this. "'Ogwarts...you zink they will accept her?"

"I have connections there. I'm sure Neville and Hagrid will be able to put in a good word for me. Plus, the headmaster loves Harry...I'm sure if I talk to Harry..." Bill was scratching his head, thinking.

Victoire leaned against the wall, crossing her arms. "I'm not going back to Hogwarts."

Bill and Fleur paused. "And where the hell do you suggest we send you?"

"Anywhere but there. I can't go back. I won't."

"I know you had your difficulties last year-"

Victoire straightened up, glaring at her parents. "You have no idea what I went through, and you have no right to bring that up right now."

"'Ogwarts could be good for her," Fleur said suddenly, her eyes filling with hope, "zat vas when Victoire was at her best!"

Fuming, Victoire stalked down the empty hallway toward her dorm room.

"Excuse me! Don't walk away from us!" Bill shouted after her. Victoire paused at the door, her hand on the knob. "What the hell's happened to you?" Bill demanded. "You used to be such a sweet, nice girl. When did that change? When did you become _this_."

Victoire took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I haven't been that girl for a long time, Dad." She turned the knob, and stalked inside her room. Without turning back to look back at her parents, Victoire slammed the door behind her.

"Victoire!" Dominique cried, wrapping her tiny arms around her sister.

"Dominique!" Victoire gasped. "What are you doing here?"

Her little sister shushed her, motioning toward Victiore's sleeping roommate. "I wanted to make sure you were okay. Merlin, thank you so much for covering fo me...but they're not really going to expel you, are they?"

"Yeah, they are."

"What?" Dominique shouted, looking panicked.

"Mum and Dad want me to go back to Hogwarts."

"But you can't! I like having you here!"

Victoire sighed, perching on her bed. "Well, that's too bad, because once term ends, I'm out of here for good."

"Oh, Vic, it's all my fault!" Dominique cried. "I shouldn't have snuck out! I should have listened to you! If you hadn't gone off to look for me, you would've been able to sneak back up to the castle with everybody else. Oh, it's all my fault."

Victoire hugged her sister. "Don't be so dramatic, Doms. I would have gotten expelled eventually. It was only a matter of time." Victoire paused, looking at her sister. "Although, I do have to ask: why'd you do it? You've never been one to sneak out and break the rules."

"Neither have you," Dominique pointed out. "Everybody told me you were a goody goody at Hogwarts just like me."

"Yeah, well, that was a long time ago," Victoire muttered.

"Well, I want to change too. I want to be just like you!" Dominique exclaimed, her eyes twinkling with admiration as she gazed at her sister.

Victoire smiled sadly at her sister. Dominique had always been beautiful, but she'd never been quite as pretty as Victoire. Her nose was slightly longer, her hair wasn't as shiny or silky, and her eyes weren't quite as blue. Still, Dominique was beautiful. Victoire had always envied her younger sister. Not because of her looks, but because of her heart. Dominique had always been less selfish and less snobby. She was the type of person who could walk into a room, and five minutes later, know everybody's life story. Victoire wasn't quite like that. She'd always been more reserved. Sure, over the past year, she'd learn to use her beauty and charm to get what she wanted, but it wasn't quite the same thing. People were drawn to Dominique because of her kindness and loyalty, while people were only drawn to Victoire because of her looks and popularity.

Victoire used to be innocent and kind like Dominique. At Hogwarts, she was known for being the beautiful yet shy, quiet girl that sat in the back and didn't speak much. But the events from the past year that led up to that day had changed her. She could turn her charm on and use her veela powers to get what she wanted. It was manipulative and selfish, but it worked.

Still, Victoire didn't want Dominique to be like her, because in truth, Victoire wasn't happy. She hated her life, and sometimes, she even hated herself. She couldn't understand why bad things happened to such good people. Victoire used to be good. She was the sweetest, kindest person you could have ever come across, but life had been cruel to her. She was a bitter, cynical person now, and she didn't want that for her siblings. She wanted Dominique and Louis to retain their innocence, and keep the happiness life had blessed them with.

Victoire removed her shoes and got into bed. Dominique climbed in beside her.

"No, you don't," Victoire whispered.

"What?" Dominique asked.

"You don't want be anything like me."


	2. For Blue Skies

_It's been a long year_

_Since we last spoke_

_How's your halo?_

_Just between you and I_

_What did I miss?_

_Do you ever get homesick?_

_I can't get used to it_

_I can't get used to it_

_**-Strays Don't Sleep**_

* * *

Teddy Lupin was the golden boy at Hogwarts. He was top of the year, a prefect, most likely to be Headboy, Quidditch captain, and President of the Transfiguration Club. He was popular, approachable, and an all-around nice bloke. In other words, he was practically the king of the Hogwarts.

Still, despite all of his accomplishments, there was still a void missing in his life. He wasn't quite sure what it was. He knew he should have been grateful for all the opportunities life had given him, but sometimes, he couldn't help but feel completely empty. It was like there was something missing in his life. Sometimes, Teddy wondered if his parents had anything to do with the void in his heart, but then he would just brush it off. Teddy hated thinking about his parents, because each time he did, an overhwelming sense of sadness overtook him.

And then other times, he wondered if what happened last year had anything to do with the ache in his heart. He thought of Victoire, and he wondered if she felt just as lost as he did. He knew she had taken it the hardest out of everybody. After the incident had occurred, Vic was never the same again. The last time he had spoken to her was right after the accident, before she had begged her parents to send her to Beauxbaton Academy with Dominique and Louis. She had seemed so lost, so confused. He hoped she still wasn't like that. He hoped Beauxbaton Academy had done her some good, that it had made her happy again.

* * *

Teddy stood over Findley West's bed. He pushed aside the curtain's allowing the sun to finally hit Finn's face. Finn opened his eyes slights. "Teddy?" he asked croakily.

"Yeah, mate?" Teddy said, leaning down.

"Sod off."

Teddy grinned, pulling his best friend up. "Come on. You promised you'd practice with me this morning."

Finn glanced at his watch. "It's seven in the morning!" he yelped.

"So?"

"It's _Saturday_," Finn exclaimed, "and Quidditch season is over."

Teddy threw his Quidditch uniform at him. "I'll wait for you downstairs."

Finn cursed loudly as Teddy traipsed out of their room and down the stairs. Grinning, Teddy strode into the empty common room. Since it was Saturday morning and last night there was a rager party in the common room, most of the students were sleeping in that morning. So, when he saw a messy haired man with startling green eyes behind his round glasses sitting on the couch, reading the morning prophet, he cried out in surprise.

Harry glanced up at his godson. "Hey, Teddy," he said before going back to the paper.

"H-How did you get in?" Teddy yelped.

Harry put his paper down. "The Fat Lady let me in," he said simply. Teddy laughed, hugging his godfather.

"So, what are you doing here...are you talking to the DADA class again or something?" Teddy asked.

Harry shook his head. "Nah, I'm meeting Bill here in a few hours, but I came by a little early to see you and Hagrid and Neville and everybody else..."

Teddy frowned. "Why's Bill coming here?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "You don't know?"

"What?"

Harry frowned. "Well, Vic won't be going to Beauxbaton Academy next year. We just wanted to talk to the headmaster...to see if Vic could return here..."

Teddy froze. "Vic's coming back?"

"Hopefully."

Teddy struggled to find his voice again. "B-but why?"

Harry hesitated. "Okay, don't go spreading this around, but...she..erm...she got kicked out of Beauxbaton..."

Teddy burst into laughter. "Victoire Weasley got expelled? _Vic_? Come on, Harry, seriously...what happened?"

"I'm serious," Harry said sincerely. "Bill and Fleur...they're really worried about her..."

Teddy stared at him. "Oh."

"I'm surprised she didn't tell you. You're her best friend."

Teddy shrugged. "Nah, not really. We drifted apart a bit, I guess. You know, what with living in different countries and all."

Harry frowned, studying his godson for a second. Finally, he said, "Well, you'll try talking to her, won't you? You know she loves you."

Teddy sighed. "Yeah, I love her too."

"Harry!" Finn shouted, traipsing into the common room.

Harry grinned. "Hey, Finn."

Finn shook Harry's hand. "So, not to be rude or anything, but you do know you don't go here anymore, right?"

Harry laughed. "I'm just visiting. So, just out of curiosity, what the hell are two sixteen year old blokes doing up at seven in the morning on a Saturday?" he wondered.

Finn glared at Teddy. "Ask Satan."

Teddy grinned, holding up his broom. "We're going to practice."

"But the season's over," Harry said, confused.

"That's what I said!" Finn exclaimed.

"You already won the cup...what do you need to practice for?"

Teddy glared at the two of them. "I'm Captain. I have to keep up my game."

Harry shook his head. "Godric, you remind me of Ginny."

Finn grinned. "Speaking of your lovely wife, did she say anything about me?"

Harry raised his eyebrows. "Why would she?"

"Well, I asked her about playing professionally-" Finn began.

Harry smiled. "Oh, yeah. She said to train hard, because next year, she'll be sending some scouts to your game."

Finn beamed. "Really?"

"Yeah."

Finn grinned at Teddy. "Have I told you how much I love your bloody family?"

Teddy rolled his eyes before turning back to Harry. "So, erm...about Vic..."

Harry sighed. "I don't know much, really. Bill told me she was sneaking out and drinking..."

Finn raised his eyebrows. "Little, innocent, sweet Victoire? I don't buy it."

"Well, hopefully it was just a one time thing," Harry said, checking his watch. "Anyway, I'll see you two later. I promised to have breakfast with Hagrid and Neville."

"You should come by the Quidditch pitch later," Finn suggested.

Harry hesitated. "I'll try. But if I don't get the chance, I just wanted to stop by and say hello. Oh, and James wanted me to tell both of you that you _have _to stay at our house over the summer."

Finn grinned. He had always had a soft spot for James and his mischievous ways. "Will do."

Teddy laughed. "Tell him we'll definitely stop by."

"Good, good," Harry said, clapping the two boys on the back. "And will you two _try_ to stay out of trouble?"

Finn sighed. "Sorry, mate, I can't make any promises."

"I'll keep him in line," Teddy assured him.

Harry paused, staring at Teddy. Teddy was taken aback by the sudden emotion that had just filled Harry's eyes.

"What?" he asked uncertainly.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing, I just forget sometimes how much you remind me of your father. He was always trying to keep Sirius and James in line too..."

Harry waved at them once more before leaving. It still broke his heart to see Teddy sometimes. Everybody always saw so much of Tonks in him, but Harry always saw Remus. Sure, Teddy had his mother's cheery personality and her metamorphmagus abilities. But Teddy was also unbelievably intelligent and incredibly kind like his father. Just like Sirius and James were always dragging Remus into trouble, Finn was always doing the same with Teddy. And just like his father, Teddy was always forced to be the responsible one and get his friends out of trouble.

* * *

Teddy played with his food mindlessly. He hadn't been able to focus on anything that day, because all his thoughts seemed to go back to Victoire. He was worried about her. Vic had never been one to party and drink...that had always been his department...

"Watch it, Lupin."

Teddy had accidentally bumped into Lucas Bishop, his biggest rival since their first year. The two of them had become instant enemies since Teddy and Finn accidentally set Luke on fire in the middle of their first ever Charms class. It was Finn's fault really, but Teddy had taken the blame for him. Luke had retaliated by giving Teddy some of George's Ton-Tongue Toffees. And since then, the three of them had been playing a never ending game of cat and mouse.

"Ignore him," Teddy murmured to Finn, who had already stiffened up and looked like he wanted a fight.

"Bloody prat," Finn spat furiously. "We never got him back for those dungbombs!"

"Yes, we did!"

"When?" Finn demanded furiously.

"Remember Hermione accidentally gave us the idea...we switched his Astronomy telescope with that boxing telescope..."

Finn grinned. "Oh yeah."

"You know, he still has a bit of a black eye from that," Teddy snickered.

"TEDDY!"

Finn and Teddy swiveled around to find a young girl with flaming red hair and light freckles spread across her nose beaming up at them.

"Molly, there's no need to yell," Teddy winced.

"Sorry," she said idly. "But is it true?" she squealed.

"Details, Molly, details."

"Is Vic really coming back to Hogwarts?"

Teddy and Finn exchanged looks. "I don't know...if things go as planned..." Teddy told her. He didn't want Molly to get her hopes up, but at the same time, he was just as excited as she was.

"Wouldn't it be brilliant if she did..." Molly said, her eyes widening as she imagined her favorite cousin gliding through the halls of Hogwarts.

"Yeah, I guess it would," Teddy said, ruffling the young girl's hair.

"You guess?" Finn snorted as the two of them turned back around. "Teddy, you've been daydreaming about Vic all day."

Teddy glared at him. "Don't be ridiculous. I don't even miss her that much."

"Right, and I don't miss those swimsuit models we met last summer."

"They weren't swimsuit models!" Teddy exclaimed, exasperated.

"They looked like swimsuit models."

"And that makes them swimsuit models?"

"In my mind, yes."

"You are deeply disturbed, my friend."

"And yet, you know I'm right."

Teddy rolled his eyes, pulling his best friend along. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Before turning the corner, Teddy glanced back at Molly. She was talking to a group of her friends, grinning from ear to ear. When she noticed Teddy looking, she waved at him, her face full of hope and excitement. He smiled, waving back at her. He hoped everything worked out, because as much as he hated to admit it, Finn was right: he'd been daydreaming about Vic all day. He wondered what she looked like...did she have the same golden locks...the same breathtaking smile...the same dazzling blue eyes...the same musical laugh...

He missed her more than he liked to admit. She had to come back. _She just had to._


	3. Shattered

_And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand. _

_Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love, without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on. _

_**-Trading Yesterday**_

* * *

Victoire stood on the outskirts of town, staring at the beautiful palace she had once called home. Behind the iron gates, students wearing silky blue uniforms were flocking into carriages, ready to be taken home for the summer. Victoire, on the other hand, was standing in the middle of the empty street with her family, her bags in her hands.

"Come on, Vic, let's go!" Bill shouted. Victoire turned around. Her parents were already climbing onto the Knight Bus. Sighing, she trudged toward the giant blue bus in front of her.

An older man around her father's age with protruding ears and quite a few pimples helped her with her bags. "Thanks," she murmured before taking the seat beside Louis. He glanced up at her with an encouraging smile.

"You'll be fine," he whispered. She smiled at her little brother. The truth was that no matter how annoying her younger siblings were, she could never stay angry with them for longer than five minutes. They were the only constants in her life, the only ones that had stuck beside her through everything. She wasn't sure how she could last an entire year without them. They were the only ones that could bring a ghost of a smile on her face, even on a day like that one.

"I know," she told him confidently. She turned back around, staring out the window. She knew it would be the last time she saw the majestic castle again, and she planned on carving every detail of it into her brain. While she hated Beauxbaton Academy at times, she had to admit that it had gotten her through quite a bit in the past year. She didn't know how she could've survived without that place. It was home.

"I don't understand why we couldn't go home with our friends," Dominique complained.

Fleur, who had been in a sour mood since she arrived, glared at her daughter furiously. Dominique flinched, knowing when to test her mother's patience.

"Isn't this nice?" Bill said cheerfully, completely unaware of the frostiness in his wife's voice or his children's moods. "The whole family back together again!"

"I'm absolutely giddy with joy," Victoire muttered.

"And what's even better? Harry and I were able to sweet talk the headmaster into letting Vic back into Hogwarts!" he added in hopes to ignite a response from his family.

Fleur's eyes widened just as the Knight Bus lurched forward. Victoire held Louis back in his seat before he was sent flying across the bus. "Oh, really, Bill!" Fleur squealed, looking absolutely delighted.

"He remembered what a good student Vic was before...plus, Harry offered to come in and lecture the school a few times...I think that really helped butter him up..."

Fleur beamed, turning to look at her oldest daughter. "You remember to thank your uncle Harry now! Oh, he is always saving us. Did I ever tell you about the time he saved Aunt Gabrielle?"

"Only a hundred times," Victoire said under her breath.

Bill frowned. "Vic, aren't you excited? You used to love Hogwarts."

"Things change."

"Well, you'll get to see all your old friends...like Teddy, Skylar, Jessica...don't you miss them?" Bill questioned, hoping to trigger some form of excitement within his daughter.

"Nope," Victoire said flatly. "I don't miss anything about Hogwarts...or our family."

"Enough!" Fleur said abruptly, her face reddening. "You will thank your uncle Harry, and that's the end of it. Do you understand, Victoire?"

Victoire struggled to bite back her retort. "Fine."

Bill sighed. "Vic, tonight your grandmother is throwing you a welcome home party. She's spent the whole day cooking and decorting for you, so if I hear one single snide remark, I swear on Godric's grave that-"

The Knight Bus lurched forward, and the five of them flew out of their seats. Victoire helped Dominique back up, and she turned to her father. "Dad, I don't want a party."

"I frankly don't give a rat's arse what you want," Bill snarled. "Your grandmother has put a lot of effort into it, and you will be happy and grateful tonight. If that attitude comes out tonight, I can promise you that you'll-"

"Bill!" Fleur hissed. Bill glanced in the direction that Fleur was staring at, and he noticed the conductor staring at them.

"Is there a problem, Stan?" Bill asked him rather rudely.

Stan turned a bright shade of pink. "Sorry, Bill."

Dominique glanced at her dad. "Do you know him?" she asked.

"He's a friend of your uncle Harry's."

Louis grinned widely. "Does Uncle Harry know _everybody_?"

Bill smiled. "Pretty much."

Victoire stared out the window miserably, watching the cities and towns blur by. A sudden anxious feeling was bubbling inside her stomach. She wondered if Teddy would be at the party tonight. What would she say to him? Would he even care that she was back?

* * *

Teddy tugged at his collar nervously. Ron and Harry were talking to him, but Teddy's mind was far from their conversation. Any minute now, Victoire would be walking through the front door...

"I'm just saying," Ron said, "I totally saved your arse out there yesterday."

Harry scoffed. "Please, the minute you saw that spider -"

"It was a _big _spider," Ron said defensively.

Teddy grinned. "You faced the darkest wizard of all time, fought against hundreds of death eaters, destroyed horcruxes...yet you scream at the sight of a tiny spider?"

Ron glared at him. "It was _not _tiny."

Harry sighed, shaking his head. "It's his one weakness."

Teddy laughed. Ron punched Harry.

"Excuse me," said a soft voice. Teddy turned around to find Skylar Grey, a tall girl with wavy blonde hair and big brown eyes standing beside him. She took his arm. "Sorry, Ron, Harry, but I need to borrow Teddy for a minute."

Teddy waved to the others as Skylar dragged him away. "What's going on, Skye?" he asked as she led him into the nearest room.

"Nothing," she mumbled, pushing him onto the bed. "I just missed you."

Teddy attempted to sit up as Skylar pushed him back down, kissing him fiercely. "Everybody's out there, though...it's a party..." he said weakly in between kisses.

"We can have our own private party," she said breathlessly, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.

"Skye, this is Molly and Arthur's room...it's weird...they're like my grandparents..."

Skylar eyed him for a minute, studying his expression. Finally, she sighed, climbing off him. "You're the first boy to ever say 'no' to me, Teddy Lupin."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"

She grinned, standing up. "Yep...but that's why I like you."

"Because I refuse to do it in my grandparent's bed?"

She rolled her eyes. "No...because you care about me...It's not just sex with you..."

Teddy stood up, kissing her forehead. "Of course not."

Skylar smiled, leaning up to kiss him sweetly.

Truthfully, his recent relationship with Skylar was very sudden and unexpected. Skylar had always been Victoire's loud, obnoxious friend. She was talkative, popular, bossy, slightly judgmental, rude at times, and from the beginning, Teddy had always wondered why Victoire was friends with her. But over the past year, he had grown to see a different side of Skylar. He saw how compassionate and loyal she could be. When Victoire left, he needed somebody to understand the hole in his heart that Victoire had left, and Skylar had been there to do that.

Finn didn't understand how Teddy could date a girl two years younger than him, especially when that girl was Skylar. But Teddy had always suspected that the only reason Finn and Skylar didn't get along was because they were so much alike. He spent most of his time breaking up arguments between the two of them, but he didn't mind much. He'd grown used to their constant bickering, and it came with the territory when your best friend was somebody like Finley West and your girlfriend was Skylar Grey.

A loud knock on the door forced the two of them to break apart.

"Teddy! Vic's here!" Finn said frantically, swinging open the door.

Teddy and Skylar exchanged quick looks before racing out of the bedroom. They found themselves in the living room, where Victoire was being mobbed by her family. The three of them froze, staring at Victoire. She looked so different, yet exactly the same. She still had the same long silvery, blonde hair, the same stunning blue eyes, the same rosy cheeks and perfectly pink lips that Teddy always found himself staring at. Yet, she seemed to have aged years. She looked tired and worn down, and the fake smile plastered on her face couldn't hide the resentment and sadness in her eyes.

Teddy always found it strange that Victoire had left without saying goodbye. They had been best friends since they were babies, but she never thought to say goodbye, or write to him, or respond to any of his letters. She just disappeared. One day she was there, and the next she wasn't. So, when he first saw her, he expected to feel angry or hurt. But seeing her walk through the door with her parents, all he felt was relief. He'd been angry with her for so long, but seeing her...relief washed over him. She was home and she was safe. That was the only thing that mattered.

"Victoire!" Skylar cried, pushing past him and Finn. Teddy watched as Skylar struggled through the crowds of Weasleys huddled around Victoire. "Victoire!" Skylar cried, hugging her best friend tightly, "it's so good to see you. Come on, Teddy and Finn are here too..."

Victoire looked past Skylar, and her eyes locked with Teddy's for a second. Teddy thought that if his heart pounded any harder, it would break out of his chest. Finally, Victoire looked back at Skylar, forcing a smile. "Erm..yeah...okay..."

Vic allowed Skylar to pull her along. Finn was bouncing eagerly beside Teddy. "Damn, Teddy, Vic looks _fit_," he whispered.

Teddy rolled his eyes. "Victoire's always been beautiful, idiot."

"...and so we're together now!" Skylar finished saying as she brought Victoire towards them.

Victoire looked at Teddy. "So, you and Skye, huh?"

"You approve?" Teddy asked, grinning.

She didn't smile. "Sure."

Finn looked like he was about to burst. "Vic, you look bloody fit," he shouted, hugging her tightly.

For the first time in over a year, Teddy heard Victoire laugh, and to him it was the most amazing sound in the world. "It's nice to see you, Finn," she giggled.

Teddy moved in to hug her too. "We missed you, Vic," he whispered.

She hugged him back. "Yeah..."

Skylar beamed. "Oh, this is so brilliant. Why didn't you tell us you were coming back to Hogwarts? Oh, I can't wait until Grace hears about this! How much you wanna bet that she cries when she sees you?"

"Where is Gracie?" Victoire asked, glancing around the crowded room.

"Vacation with her parents," Skylar replied, linking arms with Victoire. "But I asked Grandma Weasley to set a place for you next to me. It'll be just like old times!"

Victoire pulled away. "Actually, you know what...I really need to just get some fresh air...It was a really long ride back, and I hardly got any sleep last night..."

Skylar paused. "Okay..." she said uncertainly.

"I just...it's a bit stuffy in here, that's all," she said.

They watched as Victoire stumbled outside, looking miserable. "Cheerful girl, that one," Finn said, shaking his head.

Skylar elbowed him. "She just got kicked out of her school...she's not supposed to be all happy..."

"Yeah, but remember the old Victoire?" Finn asked. "She used to be so nice and bubbly..."

"I'm sure she's still like that," Skylar said confidently. "Come on, just give her some time. She's fine."

Teddy looked between his best friend and his girlfriend, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What if she's not fine?"

"Teddy -" Skylar began angrily.

"No, come on, listen. We haven't heard from her in a year. She never replied to any of our letters. She never came home for the holidays..."

"What are you saying, Teddy?" Skylar snapped.

Teddy gazed at Victoire's retreating figure. Her golden hair was swaying behind her as she strode outside. "I'm saying people change."

* * *

Victoire closed her eyes, resting her back against the wall. It was all she could do to hold it together in there. Everything and everybody in that house reminded her of what happened last year. The Burrow held to many memories for her. It hurt her too much to be there.

She looked around the backyard, where she had spent most of her childhood days. She and Teddy used to spend nearly every weekend at The Burrow chasing the garden gnomes, picking flowers, zooming around on toy brooms, helping James and Fred pull pranks on the younger children, cuddling under the giant oak tree over the hill, gathering the younger kids for picnics and tea parts, although the tea parties were usually Victoire's idea...

The two of them had had the childhood kids could only dream about. Sure, their families had faced so many heartbreaking losses because of Voldemort, but they were in a new age. Teddy and Victoire were the children of what many people were calling the 'Golden Age.' Voldemort was gone, his death eaters were in prison, families were reunited, muggleborns were safe again, the ministry had gone through radical changes...It was supposed to be a new dawn, a new era...

A few feet away from her, the door burst open and several children came running outside, clutching brooms. James and Fred were leading them.

"I call Seeker like my dad!" James shouted.

Fred nodded. "Okay, I'll be Beater!"

"Jay, I want to play too," Lily begged, bounding after her brother.

Fred and James exchanged looks. "Okay," they said uncertainly, "are you any good?"

Lily snatched the broom from her brother. All the children stopped arguing over positions to watch as Lily zoomed around the fields skillfully. James and Albus looked stunned. "When'd you get so good?" James demanded.

"Mum's been helping me," Lily replied cockily, landing gracefully beside her brothers.

James clapped her on the back. "You can replace Al as our Chaser."

Albus looked offended. "Hey!"

"Don't worry," Fred told him, "you can play for the other team."

Rose laughed. "Yeah, Al, you can play with us. Don't worry, we'll crush your brother and sister."

James rolled his eyes. "Dream on, Rosie."

They all laughed, and James turned around. When he saw Victoire, he beamed. "Vic! You wanna play?" he asked eagerly.

Victoire felt a sudden lump grow in her throat. She shook her head. "Nah, I'll just watch, Jamie Jam," she said croakily.

James looked slightly disappointed. "Okay," he said shrugging.

"Too bad," Fred said wistfully, "you're a brilliant Chaser."

She smiled sadly. "Thanks...maybe next game..."

"I want to play too," Louis protested, following his cousins onto the field, "what position do I get?"

Victoire watched all of them walk away, holding back her sobs until they were out of earshot. She leaned back against the wall, urging herself to regain her composure. She had no idea why she had suddenly gotten the urge to burst into tears. How embarrassing was that? Especially in front of all her younger cousins and her younger siblings! Once she was sure her tears had all dried up and her face was no longer red, Victoire flipped her hair back and walked back into the party. Just like her mother taught her, she would play her part. She laughed and smiled, and she made small talk with all her family members. She sat through dinner with a smile, ignoring the looks coming from Teddy. She listened intently while her grandmother rattled on about the year she had missed. She laughed when Finn and Skylar began their usual round of bickering. It was almost like normal, almost like old times. She glanced at her parents. Bill looked pleased, and Fleur looked content. However, when Victoire looked at her sister, Dominique just shook her head. She could always tell when Victoire was faking it.

When dinner was over, and everybody began milling around the house again, Victoire found it the perfect time to escape. She managed to sneak outside with out catching anybody's attention...or so she thought...

"Where are you going?" Teddy asked. Victoire nearly screamed when she saw him. He was sitting against the wall in the dark, a firewhiskey in his hand.

"Don't sneak up on me like that?" Victoire snapped. "Anyway, what are _you _doing here?"

Teddy held up his firewhiskey. "Couldn't resist."

She took the firewhiskey from his hand, and chugged it down until it was all gone. When she handed him back the empty bottle, he raised his eyebrows. "Thirsty?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Long night."

He nodded, tossing aside the empty bottle. "So, where are you sneaking off to?" he wondered.

"None of your business."

He shrugged. "Fine."

She frowned. "You're giving up...just like that?"

"Just like that."

"But...why? It's so not like you."

He frowned. "Because your mum's coming outside right now, and I figured she'd stop you."

Victoire turned around. Fleur was stomping outside, glaring at her daughter. "Victoire what are you doing? Please don't tell me you're sneaking off! Your father told you that -"

Teddy jumped up. "Fleur, it's okay. She was just talking to me."

Victoire wasn't sure whether she was upset or not with Teddy. Why was he always coming to her rescue, anyway? It made it so difficult to be annoyed with him.

Fleur blinked, stepping back. "Teddy? I didn't see you inside."

"Oh, I was with Finn and Skylar."

Fleur squealed, wrapping her thin arms around Teddy. "Oh, Teddy, it is so good to see you! Mon Dieu, vous l'air si magnifique!"

Teddy laughed. "I have no idea what that means, but I'll take it as a compliment."

"Oh, it was!" Fleur exclaimed, smoothing his hair.

Victoire rolled her eyes. She'd always been frustrated with how well her mother and Teddy get along. Even when they were little kids, her mother seemed to prefer Teddy. It drove her completely mad. "Oh, get a room, why don't you?"

Teddy waggled his eyebrows. "If only she weren't married."

Fleur smacked him. "Oh, Teddy, you're so bad!"

Victoire made a gagging sound.

"You know, I'm very glad you and Victoire are speaking again. Maybe you could be a good influence on her." Fleur said sincerely, running her hands through her silvery blonde hair.

Teddy snorted. "Yeah, I don't know about that..."

Victoire glared at them furiously. "I think I'm going inside."

"Victoire, wait!" Fleur said, holding her daughter back. "Your aunt Ginny wants to know if you might want to spend a few days at her house. I think it might be a good idea."

"It's better than having to spend another minute with you," Victoire said viciously.

Fleur stumbled back. Teddy scratched his head uncomfortably. "I'll...erm...I'll tell her you said yes..." Fleur managed to say.

Victoire and Teddy watched as Fleur marched back inside, her head held high. However, Victoire noticed how her mother's eyes suddenly looked watery, and by the look on Teddy's face, she could tell he had seen it too.

"What the hell's the matter with you?" Teddy demanded furiously. "You just made your mum cry!"

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you were in love with her."

"This has nothing to do with me," Teddy hissed.

"Exactly. So why don't you mind your own damn business." Victoire flipped her hair back and began to stalk off, but Teddy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "Teddy, let go of me."

"Vic, those people are the only family that you've got. Get your bony arse back inside and apologize to your mother."

Victoire glared at him. "You have no right to tell me how to deal with my parents. That's _my_ business!"

"How could you treat her that way?"

"Teddy, I mean it. You have no idea what you're talking about. Okay, those are _my _parents."_  
_

Teddy let go of Victoire's arm. "Maybe so, but if I still had my parents, I sure as hell wouldn't treat them like that."

"Well, they're not your family! They're mine!"

Teddy shook his head. "You know very well that I love everybody in that house as much as you. They're like my family."

"But they're not, Teddy! They're _my _family. Okay? Not yours. Your family is Andromeda, and that's it. You need to keep your big fat nose out of my family's business. Your parents are dead, and you can't replace them with mine. And it's about time you stopped trying."

Teddy shrunk back. Victoire knew it was the one thing she could say to really hurt him. His biggest fear was not truly belonging in the Weasley/Potter family because he wasn't blood related. In her heart, Victoire knew he was just as much part of the family as she was. She didn't know what made her say what she did. For a split second, she took pleasure in the hurt expression on Teddy's face, but that feeling didn't last very long. Afterwards, she just felt sick and guilty.

Teddy backed away. "I think I'll go inside," he muttered before turning around, following Fleur's footsteps back inside.

"Teddy, wait!" she called. He paused, but didn't turn around. "If you ever hurt Skylar, I'll hurt _you,_" she said seriously. "She's been through enough."

He turned around and looked at her. "Trust me, Vic, if anybody's hurt her, it's you," he said before going inside and joining the rest of the party.

Victoire swallowed back the lump growing in her throat. She stared at the spot where Teddy had disappeared. Through the window she could see her family members laughing and talking. Victoire could see her own parents talking to her grandparents. They looked happy, a genuine smile on their faces. It had been ages since Victoire had seen them smile like that. Whenever she saw them, they were fighting or arguing or not talking at all. On the stairs, Finn was giving a red faced Skylar a noogie. Finally, he let go of her, and she gave him a not so friendly hand gesture. Teddy was smiling at them, rolling his eyes. If Victoire had never moved, she would probably be right next to Teddy, laughing at Finn and Skylar.

With a sigh, she turned around and marched up the hill. Victoire didn't cry. She had learned long ago that tears never helped anybody. So, once she was over the hill, she took her wand out and shot it up into the air. A moment later, with a loud crack, the Knight Bus appeared in front of her.

"You again?" Stan Shunpike said in surprise, hopping off the bus.

Victoire stuck her wand back inside her pocket. "Just take me to St. Mungo's," she muttered, handing him a few coins.

* * *

"Are you supposed to be here?" A large woman with a clipboard was glaring at Victoire from behind her glasses.

"I'm family," Victoire lied, pushing past her. The woman grunted, but she didn't stop her. Victoire opened the door gently to reveal a bright yellow room. It was small and cold with only one window to show the night sky outside. Victoire rushed to the middle of the room where a sandy haired boy was lying in a cot. She sat beside the boy, reaching out to hold his hand. "Hi-ya, Chris...It's me, Victoire. I'm back."

She waited for Chris say something. He didn't.

She sighed, squeezing his hand. "Come on, Chris...I came all the way from France," she said, her voice breaking. "This would be a real good time to wake up..._come on_...Chris, please...just open your eyes, I'm begging you..." She let out a sob, burying her head in her hands. "Damn it, Chris, just wake up already!" she cried, looking up.

Victoire waited, hoping Chris would miraculously open his. But again, he didn't.

She took his hand again, closing her eyes, hoping to stop the tears. "Come on, Chris...why won't you wake up for me? I _need _you..."

A hand on her shoulder made Victoire jump. She glanced up to find Teddy standing over, gazing sadly at Chris. He squeezed her shoulder, and she turned back around, watching Chris, hoping that by some miracle he would jump out of bed and tell them that it was all some bad joke. When he didn't, Victoire felt tears trickle down her cheeks. She sighed, stroking Chris' hand, begging him to wake up. Behind her, Teddy stayed put, his hand resting on her shoulder comfortingly.


	4. Shake It Out

_Regrets collect like old friends_  
_Here to relive your darkest moments_  
_I can see no way, I can see no way_

_And I've been a fool and I've been blind_  
_I can never leave the past behind_  
_I can see no way, I can see no way_

**_-Florence and the Machine_**

* * *

Victoire felt a light tap on her shoulder. She glanced up.

"I brought you breakfast," Teddy offered, handing her a small plate. He had filled it with eggs, toast, bacon, and even a small bowl of porridge.

"Thanks," she muttered, her voice scratchy.

Teddy sat across from her, waiting patiently until she took a bite of her food. In between them, Chris was lying, looking peaceful, a hint of a smile on his face. Victoire noticed Teddy's sad gaze as he looked at her.

"This is the fifth time I found you here," he told her.

She took a sip of her juice. She hadn't realized how hungry or thirsty she was until now. "I don't want him to be alone..."

"Right. That's why you disappeared for a year. Makes sense." Teddy looked bitter and slightly angry.

Victoire sighed. "I couldn't handle it, Teddy...he never woke up...he was _supposed _to wake up..."

Teddy didn't say anything. He sat back in his seat, his eyebrows furrowed like he was in deep thought about something.

Victoire brushed away the few tears that had gathered around her eyes. "Do you come here a lot?" she asked, setting aside the plate.

He gazed at her intently. "Every chance I get...Danielle visits a lot too, but it's really hard for her to see him like that..."

"Dani?" Victoire choked out. She hadn't thought of Danielle in ages. "I didn't realize -"

" -that you weren't the only one that misses Chris?" Teddy finished coldly.

Victoire hung her head shamefully. She'd forgotten there were others who loved Christopher just as much as she did. "How is she doing?" Victoire asked, her voice breaking. She silently cursed herself for showing so much weakness, especially in front of Teddy.

"Dani? Well, just as good as anybody who's boyfriend is in a coma." Teddy's voice was harsh and sarcastic. Victoire was surprised to see how angry he was, especially considering how nice he'd been the past couple of days. "You know, she keeps asking me about you...wondering why you won't visit..."

Victoire sighed, brushing Chris' bangs out of his face. "Well, I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Yeah, and for how long?" he demanded.

"For as long as it takes him to get better," she replied softly.

Teddy looked at her. "What if he doesn't get better?"

"He will."

"Vic, we have to be realistic-"

It was Victoire's turn to be angry. "Teddy! _He'll get better."_

Teddy gazed at her for a few seconds. Finally, he sighed. "Okay, he'll get better," he agreed.

She glared at him. "So, how long are you going to be mad at me for, anyway?"

Teddy let out an incredulous noise. He looked at her, outraged. "Me? Are you serious right now?"

Victoire shrugged. "You've got to admit you've been a bit grumpy..."

"Vic, you showed up here after a year in which you failed to return any of my letters by the way, you tell me I'm not part of your family, you threaten me, and you've ignored me for the past week! What'd you expect me to do? Throw you a party?"

Victoire furrowed her eyebrows. "What makes you think I never wrote to you?"

"I don't recall getting a single letter from you."

Victoire bit her lip. Finally, she sat back and played with her hair absentmindedly. "Well, I suppose I should probably apologize to you."

"That would be appreciated," Teddy said sourly.

Victoire looked at Teddy. "I'm sorry for leaving you, Teddy," she said sincerely. "I never intended to hurt anybody...it was just...it was best for me to pull away from this world here..."

"This world?" Teddy questioned.

"The one with all the memories of Chris...after the accident, it seemed that everywhere I went, I was reminded of him. It was too painful."

"You know, you're stuck here now. You might as well make the best of it. Chris...he wouldn't want you to run away again. Besides, you're kind of running out of schools, anyway."

Victoire smiled sadly. "After I went to Beauxbaton, I felt so..._numb_. I couldn't feel anything...joy, pain, anger...nothing...That's why I started sneaking out and partying...It gave me a sense of thrill and excitement. It was the first time I'd felt anything since I left..."

"And what about now?" Teddy wondered. "What do you feel now?"

"Mostly sadness, but I reckon that's better than nothing, right?"

Teddy nodded. "Yeah, I reckon so. Besides, once you face all that pain, you'll be happy again." He sounded so sure that Victoire almost believed him.

"How can you be so sure?"

He shrugged. "I'm happy."

"How?" she asked, her voice cracking. "How could you possibly let go of all that? All those memories..."

"My grandmother. Finn. Skylar. Harry. Gracie." He shrugged. "Basically everybody in your family. They all helped me through it."

"Funny," Victoire said humorlessly, "whenever I see my family, all I feel is anger and disappointment."

"That's not true, Vic."

She shook her head. "No, it is. I disappointed them."

Teddy sighed. "Maybe so, but you can fix that. That's the great thing about friends and family. They give you second chances."

"They won't give me a second chance."

"I did."

Victoire looked at him. Today Teddy's eyes were dark brown and piercing, like those of his father's. Well, at least, Victoire assumed so. She had only ever seen pictures.

"You know," he said quietly, "I'm sure Skylar and Grace would be willing to give you a second chance too...if you asked..."

Victoire closed her eyes. "I need to go," she finally said, jumping out of her seat. Teddy protested, but she ignored him, sweeping out of the bright yellow room.

* * *

Finn surveyed the manor before him with interest. "Skylar, what did you say the reason was for this magnificent house being empty?" he asked, walking up to the front door.

"My dad just sold it," Skylar replied, disinterestedly. "The new owners will be moving in next week."

"Next week, you say?" Finn said eagerly.

"Yeah, why do you care-" Skylar stopped, her eyes widening. "_No_."

"Oh, yes."

"Finn!"

Finn glared at her. "Why not? We've got magic on our side, remember? It'll take us two seconds to clean it up the next day."

"You know very well my dad isn't a wizard! This is a muggle town! If the muggles call the police on us, how will we explain the magic?" she demanded.

"Police?" Finn asked, confused.

"They're muggles that enforce the law," she explained.

Finn rolled his eyes. "That's what the ministry's for."

She stared at him. "You're willing to get in trouble with the ministry just for one party?

"One _killer_ party. And that's only if they find out, which they won't."

Skylar considered. "And you promise to clean everything up afterward?"

"I swear."

Grace stared at them. Her long dark hair was pulled into a ponytail and her bright green eyes were wide. "That's illegal!" she whispered, horrified.

Skylar and Finn exchanged looks. "So?"

Grace shook her head. "Why is it that the only time the two of you get along is when you're up to something bad?" she demanded.

Finn ruffled her hair. "Oh, Gracie, do you _ever_ do have any fun?"

"I always have fun!" she protested.

"All you do is read books and study," Finn said dismissively.

"That's fun for me."

Finn looked at Grace as if she had lost her mind. He still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Grace studied for _fun. _

She was definitely different from most of the people he hung out with. Granted, the only reason he hung out with Grace was because of Teddy, but he was glad he'd gotten so close to her over the past year. Grace was stunningly beautiful, but she always did her very best to hide her beauty. Unlike Skylar, Grace shied away from the spotlight. Instead, she buried herself in studies and books, and she probably had one of the most amazing minds in the school. Finn was sure that Grace could probably rule the world someday. Which was why he found it all so strange that she was such good friends with people like him and Skylar.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Teddy was coming toward them, a slight frown on his face. "I thought we were meeting in Diagon Alley."

"Finn and Skylar want to throw a party here," Grace told him, shaking her head disapprovingly.

Teddy stopped, surveying the grand estate. "Who lives here?"

Skylar grinned. "Nobody until next week."

Finn watched as Teddy's face erupted into a slow grin. "Brilliant," he told them. "We needed a party to kick off this summer."

Grace let out an outraged cry. "Teddy, you can't be serious! You're a _prefect," _she said in a horrified whisper.

Teddy turned, grinning at Grace. "Gracie, may I remind you that it's _summer_. I no longer have to adhere to the rules."

"Like you ever did before," Skylar snorted.

Teddy grinned at her. "So, when's the party?"

"Tonight," Finn told them decisively. "I'll get word around to the people in our year. Skye, go tell all your little fifth year friends, but nobody younger than that. And Teddy, make sure to invite Vic."

Grace's amused smile stiffened. "Victoire's coming?"

"Of course," Skylar exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Oh, that's brilliant! I reckon it'll really cheer her up...she seemed so sad the last time I saw her. Besides, I've really missed her. "

"Why?" Grace demanded. "She clearly hasn't missed us."

Teddy and Finn exchanged looks. "Gracie, you know that's not true," Skylar told her.

"No, I don't," Grace said stubbornly, her dark green eyes flashing.

Teddy sighed. "Look, I was just with Vic a minute ago. She's going through a really hard time right now...it's just been difficult for her to let others in..."

Grace glared at him. "Of course you would take her side."

"I'm not taking sides," Teddy told her, putting his hands up in protest. "I'm just saying that maybe you should give Vic a second chance."

"She hasn't even spoken to me since she left a year ago," Grace snapped.

"Have _you_?" Teddy asked.

"Have I what?"

"Have you tried contacting her at all since she returned?" Teddy clarified.

Grace straightened up, narrowing her eyes at her friends. "No, and I don't want to." With a huff, she stalked away. The three of them watched her until she turned the corner and vanished from sight.

"Well, isn't this a fun start to the summer?" Skylar muttered, rubbing her temples.

* * *

Victoire watched as Hermione and Ginny prepared dinner in the kitchen. Hermione's bushy hair had been pulled up as she stood over the stove, waving her wand over the pot absentmindedly. Ginny was sitting on the counter, waving her wand lazily as plates and cups arranged themselves on the table. The two of them were chattering on mindlessly about work and their families.

"Vic?" Ginny asked, her light brown eyes studying her niece. "You should go out and enjoy yourself. It _is _summer, you know."

"I think I've partied enough this year," she replied, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

Hermione frowned. "What's wrong?"

Victoire looked up at her two aunts, who were both watching her concernedly. "I went to see Chris again today," she told them, "and Teddy was there..."

Ginny frowned. "Did you two fight again?"

"Not exactly...you two think Chris will make a full recovery, right? He's gonna get better, right?"

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows. "I wish I could tell you that he would, Vic, but it's been a _year_. Pretty soon, the healers won't be able to keep the poison from spreading..."

"You think he's going to die?" Vic yelped.

"No! I don't know. I think you shouldn't give up just yet, but I also think you need to live your life. Chris...he wouldn't want you to miss out on anything..."

"How could I? He's supposed to be here...sitting next to me..."

Ginny sighed, hopping off the counter. "Vic, why don't you take a shower and relax a bit. You need to stop obsessing over this. The Healers are working their hardest to heal Chris, and you need to have faith in them. Okay, if Chris woke up tomorrow and saw how miserable you were making yourself...he'd be pissed..."

Victoire stood up slowly. "I think I might go to bed early tonight..." she mumbled. Hermione and Ginny exchanged nervous looks as Victoire made her way past the kitchen and into the living room. Lily and Hugo were sitting on the floor, playing an intense game of chess. Albus, James, and Rosie were a few feet away, laughing wildly as they played a competitive game of exploding snap.

"Vic, you wanna play?" Rosie asked.

Victoire forced a smile. "Maybe after I shower, Rosie," she replied, making her way up the stairs.

She quickly dashed up into the guest room where she'd been staying since the beginning of summer. Her parents had sent her to Harry and Ginny's as soon as summer began, but Victoire didn't complain. She enjoyed Ginny's company, and Harry always brought home the most interesting stories. Plus James always kept her amused with his antics. However, not even James and Al's mischief could keep her mind from drifting to Chris. Ever since she'd returned home, everything reminded her of Chris. She'd be eating dinner, and she'd suddenly remember how much Chris hated peas. Or she'd be talking to Teddy, and she'd be reminded how much Chris wanted them to get together, even though Teddy was two years older than her. Every little thing reminded her of Chris.

Sighing, she got in the shower. However, she wasn't in there too long before the bathroom doors burst open. She jumped, covering herself. "I'm showering!" she shouted, irritated.

"Like I haven't seen you naked before." A familiar voice said sarcastically.

Victoire frowned. "Skylar?"

"Oh, that's so sweet! You recognize my voice!"

Victoire poked her head out of the shower. "If you don't mind, I'd appreciate some privacy."

Skylar rolled her eyes. "Well, hurry up. We're going to a party."

Victoire stared at her. "No, _we're _not."

"Vic, don't be difficult."

"Please let me shower in peace."

"Of course! You need to shower before Finn's party."

"Skye, I'm not going to that party."

Skylar glared at her. "It's not an option. You're going."

Grumbling, Victoire turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around herself. "Just like old times," she muttered.

Once Victoire stepped out, Skylar held up a skimpy black dress. "I found this in your closet," she said, examining the dress. "My, you've really changed your style over the past year."

Victoire felt her face burn. "I'm trying to stay away from that lifestyle."

Skylar raised her eyebrows. "Why? It sounds fun. I wish Hogsmeade had a club we could sneak into."

Victoire shrugged. "Yeah, it was fun, I guess. Definitely not worth having to come home..." Victoire silently cursed herself when she saw the look on Skylar's face. "Not that I'm not glad to see you...it's just my parents..." she finished off lamely, hoping Skylar hadn't taken it too personally.

"Come on," Skylar pleaded, tossing her the black dress. "Vic, _please_, I don't know why you've been avoiding me-"

"I haven't been avoiding you," Victoire interrupted.

"Yes, you have. Now, I have no idea why, but you're going to make it up to me by going to this party." Skylar glared at Victoire, challenging her to disagree.

Finally, Victoire sighed. "Fine. This night can't get much worse anyway."

"That's the spirit!" Skylar beamed.

* * *

Victoire was dragged through the enormous foyer, where she saw several familiar faces from Hogwarts. Some of them waved to her, but most of the ogled at her. The last time they'd seen the eldest Weasley, she'd been a wreck. Victoire shuddered, remembering her last few days at Hogwarts. Never again would she let anybody see her that weak again.

"Skylar, where are we going?" Victoire complained.

Skylar didn't reply. Instead, she dragged Victoire across what she assumed was a living room. Teddy, Finn, and Grace were sitting at the bar, chugging down firewhiskeys. Victoire gasped at the sight of Grace. _  
_

She'd always known Grace was beautiful, but seeing her dressed up like this, it made even Victoire feel insecure. Her long dark hair was set in loose curls, her stunning green eyes sparkled under the party lights, and her body hugging dress showed off her perfect figure. Skylar, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected by Grace's beauty. She nestled herself in between Teddy and Grace, taking a sip from Teddy's drink.

Victoire stood there for a split-second, suddenly feeling very sad. She hadn't realized how much her two best friends had changed over the past year. Skylar, who was the most outgoing of the three of them, seemed to have tamed down a bit. Victoire wondered if Teddy had anything to do with that. Skylar smiled at Teddy, her dark brown eyes glittering. Skylar had always been one of the prettiest girls at Hogwarts. She was tall, leggy, thin, with long dirty blonde hair and big brown eyes. In Victoire's opinion, Skylar's best feature was probably her smile. Skylar had such a dazzling smile that you couldn't help but grin back when she smiled at you.

Grace, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. She was petite and incredibly cute. She had long, dark hair that was often put up into a sloppy bun because she _always_ overslept. Grace stayed up most nights, reading a book feverishly, her eyes glued to the pages. However, the next morning, Victoire and Skylar would wake up to find Grace snoring, her face buried in a book. She would wake up with a start, tie her hair back into a sloppy bun or ponytail, quickly dress in her uniform, and hurry downstairs. Still, she always looked fantastic. It was completely infuriating. Grace had dark green eyes that really popped out against her dark hair and almond colored skin tone.

After the initial shock of seeing her two best friends together after a year, Victoire stepped forward. Teddy saw her first. He waved her forward. "Vic, you came!" he exclaimed in disbelief.

"Against my will," Victoire mumbled, shooting Skylar a dark look. She turned to Grace. "Hi, Gracie."

Grace didn't reply. Instead, she reached over, grabbing Finn's drink and chugging it down. "Woah," Finn said cautiously, "slow down there, kiddo."

Skylar frowned. "Grace, I've never even seen you touch a drink before. What's going on?"

Grace glanced at her. "Collin broke up with me," she said flatly.

"What?" Victoire yelped. "I can't believe you two are still together. Merlin, and after all this time."

"_Were _together," Grace corrected her. "He broke up with me about five minutes ago," she said, her voice cracking. "He got bored...being in a relationship with the same girl for over a year...said he wanted to explore his _options..._he told me I should do the same thing."

"Idiot," Finn murmured, jumping up. "You want me to kick his arse?"

Grace shook her head, but then she froze. Victoire turned in the direction she was staring. In the middle of the dance floor, Collin Avery was dancing with a tall redheaded girl Victoire had never seen before.

"Gracie, I'm so sorry," Victoire said softly, reaching for her.

Grace shook her off. "What? Like you suddenly care about me?" she snarled before stalking off.

"Vic, she's just upset," Skylar said reassuringly as Grace disappeared into the dancing crowd.

Victoire shook her head. "Nah, I deserved that."

"Where are you going?" Teddy asked as Victoire began backing away.

"Find a cute bloke to snog...or maybe find something stronger than firewhiskey..." she muttered.

Skylar laughed. "There's my girl."

Teddy, on the other hand, frowned. "Vic, I'm not sure that's the best idea..."

Victoire shrugged. "Maybe not...but I'll worry about that later."

* * *

Grace pushed aside dancing couples furiously. She couldn't believe Collin's nerve...to dance in front of her with another girl minutes after they broke up. She felt like punching somebody. She considered punching Victoire, but decided against it. She had promised Teddy she'd be nice.

She looked back at her friends, but they were all gone. Victoire was flirting with some random bloke she had never seen before. Judging from the look on his face, Victoire probably had him wrapped around her fingers. Grace stared at them for a moment. Victoire was so different. Her dress was so much skimpier and her attitude was so much more Skylar-ish. Before she had gone away, Victoire was shy and quiet. She never flaunted her beauty, and she never got into any trouble. It amazed Grace to see how much Victoire had changed.

A few feet away from Victoire, Finn was dancing with Sarah Thomas, a pretty girl with dark skin and dark brown eyes. Rolling her eyes, Grace skimmed the crowds until she found Teddy and Skylar. They were glued together, snogging furiously. Teddy had Skylar pushed up against the wall, his hands traveling in areas that Grace had never dared allow Collin to go. Making a face, Grace turned back around. She was astonished, however, to see Victoire staring at the Teddy and Skylar. For a split second, Victoire looked hurt, but then the next instant it was gone and she had plastered an easy smile on her face.

Grace wanted to go over and comfort Vic, but then she remembered how furious she was with her. Huffing, Grace flipped her hair back and marched back to the bar. She reached over, grabbing the strongest liquor she could find. "This is gonna be a _long _night," she muttered.

About an hour later, Grace was still sitting alone at the bar, observing the party before her. Finn had completely disappeared with a girl from Hufflepuff. Teddy and Skylar were now dancing. Occasionally Skylar would signal Grace forward, asking her to join them on the dance floor, but Grace pretended she didn't see. Hidden in the shadows, Victoire was furiously snogging the bloke she had been flirting with earlier. Teddy kept glancing back at Victoire and the bloke.

Grace kept her eyes locked on Collin, though. He was still talking to the redheaded girl. He hadn't even noticed Grace glaring at him all night. The redheaded girl laughed, throwing her head back as Collin said something enthusiastically.

"You have _got _to stop staring at them." Finn sat beside Grace. "It's creepy."

"I can't believe he moved on so quickly," she said miserably.

Finn shrugged. "You should do the same. Find some nice bloke at the party and snog him right in front of Collin."

"That's horrible advice."

He shrugged. "It's what I would do."

"Finn, you've never even had a girlfriend."

"Yes, I have!"

"That's lasted longer than a week?" Grace raised her eyebrows.

"Week?" Teddy snorted, plopping beside Grace. "Try day."

"Caroline Stromberg," Finn told them. "We dated for three whole days."

"Wow, that must have been quite a deep and meaningful relationship," Skylar drawled sarcastically, making herself comfortable on Teddy's lap.

Finn glared at her. "And how long was your longest relationship?"

She thought about it. "Teddy, how long have we been dating?"

"About a month."

"One month," Skylar told him smugly.

"You've never had relationship before Teddy?" Finn questioned.

Grace laughed. "Skylar wasn't really a relationship kind of girl."

"Well, I am now," Skylar said, kissing Teddy.

"Excuse me while I go throw up," Grace said, standing up.

"I'm right behind you," Finn said, making a face.

Teddy pushed Grace back down. "I'm not finished speaking with you."

"What else have you got to say?" she demanded impatiently.

"I want you to be nicer to Vic," he said.

Finn nodded. "That's a good idea."

Skylar bit her lip. "Gracie, can't you just give her a second chance?"

"She had an entire year for her second chance," Grace replied bitterly.

"Just be civil," Finn ordered. He looked stern, which was quite an odd expression on Finn's face compared to his usual mischievous smirk. It almost made Grace consider being nice to Victoire, but then she remembered the many letters she never got back and the burning fury in the pit of her stomach returned.

"You've got to be kidding me," Teddy suddenly muttered furiously.

"What?" Skylar asked, looking in the direction that Teddy was glaring at.

"Luke's here," Victoire answered, popping up in front of them.

Finn jumped out of his seat. "At my party? What's this guy playing at?"

Victoire shrugged. She looked back at Lucas. "Merlin, he looks good..." she mumbled.

Finn stared at her. "You couldn't possibly be interested in The Enemy Number One, could you?"

She studied Luke for minute before finally shrugging. "Nah...he's not my type..."

Finn wiped his forehead. "Phew...you had me worried there for a minute."

Grace stared at Victoire in disbelief. It was like she was a completely different person. "Not your type?" she repeated faintly.

"Who's that guy that you were snogging?" Skylar asked her eagerly.

Victoire furrowed her eyebrows. "John...Jacob...Jordan...I don't know, something like that."

"While that's very interesting and all, what is Enemy Number One doing at my party?" Finn demanded furiously, glaring at his friends as if they were responsible. _  
_

"You invited the entire school," Grace told him, rolling her eyes. "Did you expect he wouldn't find out?"

Teddy grabbed Skylar's arm. "Just let him be. If he causes any trouble then we can kick him out."

Finn scowled. "Fine, but I don't like it."

"Neither do I," Teddy admitted, "but this isn't our house, remember?"

Cursing under his breath, Finn stormed through the dance floor, a flask in his hand. Skylar dragged Teddy away, claiming she wanted to dance some more. Grace suddenly realized she had been left alone with Victoire, which didn't do much to brighten her mood.

"Gracie-" Victoire began.

"Save it, Vic," Grace said curtly, flipping her dark brown hair in the best imitation of Skylar she could manage. With one last glare at Victoire, she strode away. She was so busy fuming over Victoire, she hardly even noticed Collin and his redheaded friend in front of her. She watched in horror as Collin leaned down, giving the girl a soft kiss. Her face burning and her heart pounding, Grace backed away slowly. She felt tears stinging her eyes, and she swallowed back the lump in her throat.

"That's some kiss." Lucas was standing behind her, taking a sip of his drink. "But I thought you and Avery were a couple."

She couldn't take her eyes off Collin as he and the redheaded girl snogged furiously. "We're not...anymore..." she heard herself say numbly. "Collin broke up with me."

Lucas looked her up and down. "While you looked like that? Wow, he's a fucking wanker."

Grace tore her eyes away from Collin to look at Lucas. "Thank you...I think," she said uncertainly.

"So, why'd you break up anyway?" he asked.

Grace stared at him. "Why the sudden interest. I'm pretty sure we've never spoken more than three words to each other before."

Lucas raised his eyebrows. "That's true. I believe the last thing you said to me was 'shove off, Bishop.'"

"You had just attacked my friends."

"Lupin and West deserved it."

"And you deserve for me to hex you right now."

"But you can't, can you? You're only...what? Fourteen."

"I've been fifteen for nearly six months now," she replied tartly.

"Still, you're underage," he said smugly.

Grace looked at him in disgust. "What are you doing here anyway? This is Finn's party. Aren't you two like mortal enemies or something?"

Luke shrugged. "A party's a party."

She sighed, turning back to look at Collin and the redheaded girl, but they had disappeared. "You know," she said, "Finn advised me to snog some random bloke in front of Collin...said it'd make him jealous..."

Luke nodded. "Surprisingly good advice coming from that dimwit."

Grace ignored the insult. "What are you talking about? That's horrible advice."

Luke shrugged. "I expected you'd say that much. I reckon if he'd given the advice to Skylar or even Victoire...they would've done it. They're gutsy...bold...willing to take risks...Hell, I heard Weasley got expelled for sneaking into muggle strip clubs and doing a tease for the muggle blokes while riding back into the school on a unicorn. Merlin, I would've traded my entire family to have Weasley do a strip tease for me."

"Wow...that's not what happened at all." Grace decided against mentioning the fact that it would have been impossible for Victoire to ride back into the school on a unicorn. First off, unicorns made Victoire nervous. Second, unicorns were nearly impossible to tame.

"Point is, Victoire and Skylar...they're the kind of girls that have the guts to do something like that. You...well, you're classier, I reckon. You always do the right, noble thing, and you only ever take calculated risks. Which, might I add, makes you the most boring Gryffindor to ever live."

Grace frowned. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

Luke shrugged. "All I'm saying is that your boyfriend knew what he was doing when he broke up with you."

"Excuse me?"

"I reckon he needed a bit more excitement."

"I'm plenty exciting," Grace said defensively.

"I meant in the downstairs department."

That shut Grace up. She'd never considered that her frigidness had cost her her relationship.

"I reckon your little boyfriend wanted a bit of action, and you weren't willing to give it to him. So, he risked breaking up with you, because he knew that it was his safest option. See, once it's over with you, he's free to do what he wants. He can go have his fun with the redheaded girl or any other girl for that matter, and when he's all done with that and he decides he misses being in a relationship, he knows he can go back to you. And how does he know that, you ask? It's because you think you're in love with him, so you'll give him a second chance. Which, might I add, will probably be a huge mistake on your behalf, because not only will Avery get you, but he'll also get a little something something on the side. Basically, the bloke has you wrapped around his finger. He knows it's safe to end things with you, because you'll always take him back."

Grace stared at him in amazement. Suddenly, it hit her, an all consuming anger. Her nostrils flared, her face burned, and she had the sudden urge to hit somebody. She wanted to hurt Collin, to make him to feel as terrible as she did in that moment.

Then she did something she never expected to do in a million years. She pulled Lucas close, slamming her lips against his. "How's that for safe," she mumbled before Luke pulled her back. His kisses were hot and hurried, burning with desire. Grace placed her arms around the back of his neck, letting him take control. She turn her head for a breath of air, but Luke's mouth continued down her neck, eliciting a small moan from Grace.

She never expected to like kissing Luke so much. If somebody had told her a week ago that she would be kissing Lucas Bishop and _enjoying _it, she would have scoffed. But now...she could barely even remember her ex-boyfriend's name...

Lucas was different from Collin. He was intoxicating. Every touch, every kiss...it was electrifying. Ever cell in her body seemed to explode with pleasure when he brushed his lips against hers. She'd never felt like that while kissing Collin...


	5. Wicked Game

_The world was on fire, and no one could save me but you_  
_It's strange what desire will make foolish people do_  
_I never dreamed that I'd need somebody like you_  
_I never dreamed that I'd know somebody like you_

_And I wanna fall in love_  
_And I wanna fall in love with you_  
_with you_

_What a wicked game you play, you make me feel this way_  
_What a wicked thing to do, make me dream of you_  
_What a wicked thing to say, never felt that way_  
_What a wicked thing to do, make me dream of you_

_**-James Vincent McMorrow**_

* * *

Grace stared at the ceiling miserably. Lucas was lying beside her, his curly brown hair disheveled and messy. He stirred slightly, and Grace watched him fearfully until he rolled over, his muscular arms wrapping around her. She couldn't help but relax into him, remembering the night before. But then she thought of Collin, and with a paralyzing amount of guilt, Grace wriggled out of Luke's arms. She silently scrambled around his room, looking for her clothes, her heart racing. She hoped more than anything that she could slip out of there without anybody noticing.

"Leaving so soon?" Grace turned to find Luke gazing at her, a hint of a smirk on his face. "How about some breakfast? I _do _make the best eggs."

Grace finished zipping up her dress. "Bye, Luke."

"Aww, we're not gonna cuddle?"

Grace stopped what she as doing and glared at him. "Okay, let's get one thing straight: last night was a one time thing."

"Ah, but it wasn't just one time last night," he said smugly.

"Luke, I'm serious. _Nobody _can know about this. Okay? It will _never_ happen again."

Lucas put his arms behind his head, an easy smile on his face. "Whatever you say, Gracie."

She pulled her hair back into it's usual messy ponytail. "Luke, I'm begging you. _Please_." With one last meaningful look at him, Grace turned to open the door.

"See you at your barbecue today!" he called after her, laughing.

Grace gritted her teeth before slamming the door shut behind her. She fought the urge to turn back around and punch Lucas. How could she have been so stupid? She wondered what Collin would say if he ever found it. Shaking off her humiliation and disgust, Grace straightened up. She held her head high as she marched down the stairs of the empty house. She wouldn't let Lucas or anybody see her break down. She had to keep it together. At least for now.

Grace had grown up in a rather nice neighborhood. She lived in a small wizarding community, so she had been raised all her life around magic. When she was younger, all the children in the small town would gather in the town square to play tag on their toy broomsticks or bewitch snowballs so that they followed Mr. Heidi around, bouncing off the back of his head. It was a little town where you didn't have to hide your magic from muggles or live in constant fear of being discovered as a witch. She couldn't think of a better place to have grown up.

It was the kind of town in which everybody knew everybody. Every person in town knew Grace and her family. Sometimes, she wondered whether that was a good thing. Sure, the community was a very tight-knit group, but at the same time, it was like living in a town with no privacy. All the children in town also went to Hogwarts. So, everything she did at Hogwarts was always reported back to the townspeople. If Grace wasn't such a good girl, it would have been completely infuriating. However, Grace had never done anything bad in her life. So, she remained the one girl in town with the squeaky clean image.

"Well, until now, at least," she muttered to herself miserably.

She turned the corner. Finn's house was the first one on the Magnolia Crescent Street. She and Finn had lived on the same street all their lives, but they'd never really spoken until Skylar and Teddy began dating. They were forced to become friends on account that they were both the third wheels to the Teddy and Skylar lovefest. Finn had always ignored her because she was two years younger than him, but now that they were such good friends, he was like an older brother to her. She couldn't imagine _not_ having him around.

Briefly, she wondered how Finn would react if he ever found out about Lucas.

_"Oh, Gracie...how could you be so smart but so stupid?" he would ask her with a look of disbelief mixed with bitter anger on his face. "That bloke is called 'Enemy Number One' for a reason!"_

Sighing, Grace continued down the street. Several heads turned at the sight of Grace walking back home in a tight blue dress, her make up undone, her shoes being carried in one hand, and her hair pinned up sloppily. Several older witches sniffed their noses in disapproval, shaking their heads in contempt at her. A few familiar faces and neighbors stared at her in shock. Normally, Grace was the "girl-next-door." She was the one everybody called on to babysit, the girl who tutored all the younger children, the girl that was sweet and shy and always had her nose buried in a book. She was _not _the type of girl to come home the next morning looking hungover and miserable.

"Gracie, dear," Mrs. Lloyd hollered. Mrs. Lloyd looked up from the petunias she was planting, and scurried over to meet Grace. Mrs. Lloyd was their nosiest neighbor, who spent most of her time outside gardening so she could overhear any of the mischief going on around the neighborhood. "Is everything alright, dear?" she asked.

Grace plastered on the brightest smile she could manage. "Oh, everything's brilliant!"

"Really?" Mrs. Lloyd said, unconvinced. She quickly glanced at Grace's brick house down the street. "Well, if you or your brother need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask."

"Of course," Grace said graciously. She began to walk past Mrs. Lloyd, ignoring the look of pity her oldest neighbor was giving her. She slowly made her way to the last house on the street. It was a large two-story brick house with a small pathway leading up to the milky white door. Along the path, Grace's mother had planted several beautiful, colorful flowers. Grace frowned, wondering why Mrs. Lloyd had acted so weird. She kept glancing back at her house like it was the Shrieking Shack.

Then, as she made her way down the path, Grace realized why Mrs. Lloyd had been so peculiar.

"YOU'RE NEVER HERE! YOU'RE NEVER HOME! YOU'RE NEVER HERE FOR YOUR CHILDREN OR YOUR WIFE!" Grace recognized the shrill shrieks of her mother.

"HOW CAN YOU SAY I'M NEVER HERE?!" A much deeper voice demanded. Grace sighed. Her parents were fighting...again.

She wondered if they even noticed she was gone all night. _They probably didn't_, she thought bitterly.

"BECAUSE YOU NEVER ARE!" Grace's mother shouted back furiously. "WHAT KIND OF A HUSBAND ARE YOU?"

"THE KIND THAT'S TRYING TO MAKE A LIVING FOR _YOU_!"

Grace opened the door loudly and slammed it shut behind her, hoping that it would make her parents realize they weren't alone. It didn't work.

They continued arguing as Grace went upstairs and showered. She could hear them from her room, and she wondered how much her neighbors could hear. Everybody in town knew the Rhodes family. Jim and Aimee were the well off young couple who moved into town years ago. They were happy and in love and everything was great. Then, Grace Rhodes was born, and she seemed like their biggest blessing. Grace won every academic award that came her way, she was effortlessly beautiful, she was kind and genuine, and she was the perfect daughter. Then, a few years later, along came little Henry Rhodes. He was a small boy, but with a giant personality. He had the biggest imagination in town, and he seemed to charm every person he came into contact with. The family seemed to have it all.

But they didn't. Grace wasn't sure when all the fighting had started, because she was away at school. But it had been going on for years. Henry, who was still only eight years old, couldn't escape to Hogwarts like Grace could. His usual cheeky and bright personality had slowly diminished. He was quieter now, more reserved.

When Grace finally came down stairs, she looked like her usual self. She had thrown on a pair of shorts, an old t-shirt, and a comfortable pair of flip flops. She pulled her hair back into a bun, and rinsed off all the make up staining her face.

Her parents were in the kitchen, glaring at each other from across the room. She cleared her throat slightly, breaking them away from their angry trance. "So," she asked lightly, "where's Henry?"

Jim Rhodes was a tall man with sandy brown hair and a goofy smile. It was weird for Grace to see him so stern and severe. "He's spending a few weeks at your grandparents," Jim told her, forcing his gaze away from his wife.

Aimee Rhodes made a tutting noise before turning around to do the dishes. "How was the party, Grace?" her mother asked through gritted teeth. Aimee Rhosed used to be a very pretty woman, but it seemed that the years of being a wife and mother had aged her. There were grey strands in her dark brown hair and small lines under her eyes.

"Collin broke up with me last night," she told her parents, waiting for their reaction.

Her parents, on the other hand, didn't really hear her. Her father scowled at her mother. "Aimee, what party? How come I was never told of a party?"

Aimee threw the hand towel she was drying the dishes with over her shoulder. "She's fifteen, Jim. She's allowed to go to a party if she wants to."

"I understand that," Jim said, attempting to keep his voice calm, "but don't you think that I should have been told about it."

"Maybe you would've known if you were ever home," Aimee said venomously.

"Maybe I'd want to come home more often if you were a bit more pleasant!" Jim snarled.

Grace shrunk back miserably. She never intended to start another argument between the two of them. "I think I'll go to the store...buy some ice for the party tonight..." she said meekly.

"No, I'll go," her father said forcefully. "I'd rather not remain another minute in the kitchen with your mother."

"That's right, Jim!" Aimee shouted after him. "Run away! Like that's going to solve anything!"

Grace watched miserably as her mother followed her father out of the kitchen, shouting insults after him. "By the way, guys," she said under her breath, "I lost my virginity last night to a guy that wasn't Collin, and who just so happens to be the biggest arsehole in the school."

Grace sighed, looking around the empty kitchen. When she glanced out the window, her father was marching down the street furiously. Mrs. Lloyd was peeking at him over her white fence. She was watching as my mother stared after him, her arms crossed. Finally, when Jim disappeared with a loud crack, Aimee turned around and headed back inside.

"Gracie, you never finished telling me about that party," Aimee said, heading back into the kitchen.

Grace took a deep breath. "Well, actually, I did something really stupid...you see, I- "

She was interrupted once more when the doorbell rang. "Must be the caterers," Aimee muttered, checking her watch.

"Caterers? Mum, I thought it was going to be a barbecue," Grace exclaimed as her mother hurried to answer the door. From the kitchen, she heard Aimee let out a delighted cry. Somebody with a bright, cheerful voice replied.

As the muffled voices came closer, the bright voice was revealed to be Skylar's. "Gracie," Aimee scolded, "why didn't you tell me Vic was back?"

"What?"

"Skylar here just told me she'll be returning to Hogwarts this year. Oh, that's just fantastic news! But why didn't you tell me? If you had told me sooner, I would have invited Bill and Fleur to the barbecue...oh, it's so tacky inviting people last minute..."

"So, don't invite them," Grace muttered. Besides Lucas, the last person Grace wanted at her house was Victoire.

"Don't be silly," her mother said, waving her aside. "Bill and Fleur used to be wonderful contributors to Hogwarts. Why if they hadn't left...they'd probably be head of the board by now!"

Skylar gave Grace her most fantastic smile. "Yes, isn't it great, Grace? All of us together again?" She tilted her head slightly, as if challenging Grace to contradict her.

"Absolutely fantastic," Grace said sarcastically.

"Of course it is," Aimee said, scurrying out of the room. "If I owl Bill now, I'm sure he'll get it in time for the party. Merlin, I just hope he doesn't have plans already." She turned to Skylar. "Skylar, dear, you and your father are coming tonight as well, aren't you?"

Skylar hesitated. "Well, my dad's a muggle...and he's not part of the school board."

"Oh, don't be silly. He's still a Hogwarts parent, isn't he? I'm sure he'd like to have a say on tonight's decisions. Besides, loads of parents that aren't on the school board are coming."

"Like Victoire's parents," Grace said bitterly.

"Exactly!" Aimee exclaimed. "Well, that is if they _can _come. Anywho, I really should go and owl them right now..." she mumbled, walking off.

Once her mother was out of earshot, Grace glared at Skylar. "What are you playing at Skye?"

Skylar shrugged. "Nothing. Come on, let's go to lunch!"

Grace narrowed her eyes at her best friend. "Why?"

"Because I'm hungry."

"No, why are you here?"

Skylar hesitated. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?" Grace asked suspiciously.

"You'll find out soon enough," Skylar said cheerfully, taking her best friend's hand. "I reckon we should go to Hogsmeade for lunch...there's a new little restaurant there I've been _dying _to go too..." she exclaimed, dragging Grace along.

* * *

Grace leaned back in her booth, glaring at Skylar suspiciously. Skylar glanced up at her in half annoyance. "You know, you could try smiling ever now and then."

"Sorry. I'm just trying to figure what you're up to."

Skylar sighed, setting down her menu. "Can't I just have lunch with my best friend without having a hidden agenda?"

"No."

"Grace!"

"Fine, you can, but Skylar, you have been a bit absent lately. I can't help but be suspicious."

Skylar looked confused. "Absent?"

"Well, yeah...ever since you and Teddy began dating..." Grace said absentmindedly, scanning her menu.

"Oh...I didn't realize...I'm so sorry, Gracie." Grace looked up to find Skylar staring at her in horror.

"No need to apologize. I get it...new boyfriend and all..." Grace said, shrugging.

"Anything I can get you, ladies?" A waitress in her mid-twenties asked.

"I'll have today's special," Grace told her, handing the waitress her menu.

"Make that two," Skylar said, flipping her blonde hair back.

The waitress nodded, scribbling their orders down quickly. "Alright. It'll be right out. And I'll give you a refill on your drinks."

Once the waitress was gone, Skylar straightened up. "So, I need to talk to you."

Grace raised her eyebrows. "I thought there was no hidden agenda."

"Well, what else do you suggest we do while we wait for our food? Sit here and stare at each other?"

Grace crossed her arms. "Fine. What do you want to talk about?"

Skylar took a deep breath. "Now, Gracie, don't take this the wrong way, but would it kill you to be nicer to Victoire? I think she's really trying to make amends. Look, Teddy is really trying to help her, but she won't listen to him. He reckons she wants to kill him half the time. He thinks that me and you are the only ones that can pull her out of her funk. Now, I'm willing to talk to her and be there for her, but I need your help. _Vic _needs your help."

"Not this again." Grace didn't understand why everybody was so willing to kiss Victoire's arse. Had they forgotten that she had _abandoned _them?

"Look, she's our best friend! Sure, she made a mistake, but as her friends, we need to forgive her."

"Victoire is _not _my friend."

Skylar glared at her. "Grace, what's going on with you? For as long as I've known you, you've _always _taken the high road."

Grace stared at the table, her eyes stinging. She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "She _left, _Skylar. I needed her, and she _left_. And she never once looked back. I understand what happened with Chris was hard...but she wasn't the only one that lost him...and she wasn't the only one that suffered because of it. I needed her this past year...I wrote to her...and she never cared."

"Grace, I'm sure that's not true-" Skylar began.

"Don't make excuses for her! How long are you going to sit there and pretend that she didn't hurt you too? With everything going on with my parents...she should've been there for me..." Grace finished off quietly, her voice cracking.

Skylar hesitated. "How is it...with your parents, that is?"

Grace let out a humorless laugh. "Henry won't talk. He's barely uttered a word in months."

Skylar stared at her. "Henry Rhodes? The cheeky little bastard who used to flirt with Victoire when he was only six years old?"

"The same one," Grace said miserably. "He just sort of sits there...looking miserable. He went to spend a few weeks with my grandparents...I reckon that'll do him so good. He's all alone in that big house with them fighting all the time...At least I know my grandparents don't fight..."

Skylar looked at loss for words. Grace couldn't blame her. Skylar had never had to deal with fighting parents. She'd lost her mother at a very young age, and it broke Grace's heart that Skylar had to go through all that. However, Skylar's parents loved each other very much. Her father didn't even care that he had married a witch. He claimed it made him love her even more. Skylar had memories of her parents laughing, cuddling on the couch, going on romantic dates ever Friday night, taking the family on several vacations...

Grace distantly remembered her parents holding hands as they strolled down the streets or her mum kissing her dad on the cheek before he left for work. However, over time, her parents slowly started drifting apart and acting cold towards each other. Her father started coming home later and later from work. Sometimes, she woke up to find him sleeping on the couch. Her mother had started drinking more often, and Grace could sometimes hear her sobbing in the bathroom. Still, they put up a happy front for the neighbors and their kids. Henry, being so young, had no idea what was going on. Grace, on the other hand, could feel the tension whenever her parents were in the same room. One day, though, everything just snapped. There was loud yelling, glass breaking, walls being punched, Henry hiding under the bed...

After that first blowout, her parents apologized and assured them it would never happen again. Henry relaxed, his easy smile returning instantly. He thought his 'perfect' family would return to normal.

But it didn't. The fighting never stopped. It got worse. And then, Henry got worse. He became quieter and more serious. He stopped going out to play with the neighborhood kids, or throwing dungbombs at Mrs. Lloyd's backyard whenever he got bored. Instead, Grace usually found him on the front porch, sitting alone. He would be staring at the street miserably, watching his friends run around and old couples take their evening stroll.

Grace worried about her brother. It couldn't be good for a person's health to be stuck in that miserable house every day.

"It'll get better," Skylar assured her, but she didn't look very certain.

"If you say so," Grace said dejectedly as their food was set in front of them. She politely thanked the waitress before turning to look back at Skylar. "Why do you want to be friends with Victoire, anyway? You love being the queen bee at the school. You know that as soon as Victoire returns, it'll be just like old times. She'll rule the school." Grace rolled her eyes. She didn't have the patience for all the popularity contests at school. School was for learning and preparing for the future, not for gossip and beauty contests.

Skylar shrugged. "I really don't care about that anymore...ever since Teddy and I got together...things have changed. He doesn't really care for such things...and I like that...Besides, you remember how much Vic hated being center of attention? She'll be begging me to take my position back."

Grace snorted. "Not that that would help. Did you see the way everybody stared at her at the party last night?"

Skylar narrowed her eyes. "Speaking of the party, where did you go? Did you leave early because of Collin?"

Grace remembered the way she had ripped off Luke's shirt as he led her back to his house. "I guess you could say that," she mumbled, her face burning. Truth was, no matter how wrong it was, kissing Luke was electrifying. He got her heart racing...he made her nervous and excited and thrilled all at the same time...

"Well, you don't need that loser. Tonight, at your barbecue, we'll find you a really cute bloke, okay?"

Grace snorted. "My barbecue? You mean the meeting for Hogwarts parents? You do realize that everybody we know will be there, right? Finn and his parents...Teddy and Andromeda..._Luke_..." she said the last name bitterly, but Skylar didn't pick up on it.

"I hope Teddy and Luke can get along tonight...the two of them at same party two nights in a row...can't be good news." Skylar stared at her food anxiously.

Grace looked up to reassure her, but instead, she found herself staring at her ex-boyfriend. Collin didn't notice her. Instead, he was holding hands with the same redheaded girl from last night. The two of them were being led to a private booth in the corner. As she watched him slide in beside the redheaded girl, Grace felt the lump in her throat again.

Shaking her head, she looked back at Skylar. If Skylar saw Collin and his new little friend, she'd probably punch him in the face or dump her food on his head or do something completely Skylar-ish.

"You going to eat those?" Skylar asked, pointing to the vegetables on her plate. Grace shook her head numbly as Skylar reached over to grab her peas.

"I reckon we should leave soon," Grace heard herself say.

Skylar nodded. "Good idea...we need to get our shopping done before the barbecue begins..."

* * *

Lucas stared at Grace. She was sitting in a booth by the door with Skylar. The two of them were talking casually, slight smiles on their faces. Skylar was going on and on about something or other, her hands moving around enthusiastically. Meanwhile, Grace attempted to listen, but her gaze kept shifting back to Collin Avery and the girl he was snogging.

Luke had seen the look on Grace's face when Collin walked in with his new girlfriend, and frankly, he thought Collin was an idiot. He couldn't understand how anybody in their right mind would break up with a girl like Grace. She was beautiful, smart, funny, kind...and as much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He had been with a lot of girls in his life, but Grace was different. There was something special about her. Every time she was near, he got a fluttering sensation in his stomach. Every time she laughed or smiled, his heart quickened. Whenever Grace gazed sadly at Collin, Lucas felt like punching the git in the face. How could he hurt her like that?

He reached for his wand, aiming it under the table at Collin. He watched with amusement as Collin's hand jerked uncontrollably and he spilt pumpkin juice down his pants. Holding back a laugh, Luke glanced back at Grace. She bit her lip, fighting a smile as she watched Collin's face turn into a tomato as he attempted to clean off his trousers.

"Lucas, are you even listening to me?" Luke turned back to look at Jennifer Adams. Jen was a pretty sixth year with shoulder-length brown hair and chestnut brown eyes that really seemed to sparkle under the sun. She was gorgeous with an athletic build, but she didn't have the same musical laugh as Grace or the same sarcastic eye roll as Grace. She didn't tilt her head sideways when she was thinking like Grace often did. She didn't kiss like Grace and her touch didn't bring shivers down Luke's back. It wasn't the same, and Lucas knew that.

"Sorry," he mumbled, pressing his lips against hers. She responded enthusiastically, wrapping her thin arms around the back of his neck. They snogged for a bit, completely forgetting about their food. Finally, when Luke pulled away, Grace was already gone. He could see her through the restaurant windows. She and Skylar were walking down the street. Skylar was pointing at different stores, but Grace looked completely disinterested. Instead, she kept glancing back at the restaurant, her expression completely heartbroken as she gazed at that idiot Collin.

"So, what are your plans tonight?" Jen asked.

Lucas tore his eyes away from Grace. "Erm...I'm going to Grace Rhodes' barbecue..."

Jen nodded. "Oh...my family wasn't invited..."

"Well, it's mainly for nosey parents like mine," Luke told her. He checked his watch. "Actually, they should be arriving from Italy in a few minutes...I should probably get going..."

Jen sniffed in annoyance. She'd been trying to get him to settle down for years, but he just wasn't interested. She was just a good shag every once in a while. "I'll...erm...I'll see you later..." he told her, leaving some money on the table.

She glared at him. "I thought we were going to walk around a bit..."

"That was before you took three hours getting ready," he told her, standing up.

"Forty-five minutes," she hissed.

"Same difference," he said, leaning down to give her a quick kiss. He waited for that electrifying feeling he got when Grace kissed him, but nothing happened. Sure, Jen was a good kisser and all, but there was no..._spark_...

* * *

Lucas followed his parents down the street to Grace's house. He'd been there a few times before, but for some reason, he was only really seeing it now. He glanced up at the windows, wondering which one was Grace's.

"Lovely little town," his mum was saying as she always did when they came there. "Pity we live in between all those muggles."

"Mum, we own three acres of land. We've never even seen our muggle neighbors."

His dad let out a hearty laughed. "Three acres of land? Merlin, what do we even do with all that space."

"Well, I suggested we build a Quidditch stadium," Lucas told them. "And you said no."

His mum pursed her lips. "Quidditch...what's the point if you refuse to try out for the team?"

"The point is that I'd rather not be on a team with Lupin and West," he snarled at them.

His mum clucked her tongue. "I hear that Teddy is such a good boy."

"Too good," Lucas muttered darkly.

"Oh, there he is right now!" his mum said, pointing to a tall bloke with messy brown hair. He was walking down the street with an older woman Lucas recognized as his grandmother, but he couldn't remember what her name was. She seemed like a nice enough lady, but for some reason she resembled a crazy witch he had read about several times named Bellatrix Lestrange.

"Shame you two aren't friends," his dad said. "Say, are you friends with Grace Rhodes?"

"Not too well. We've talked on a few occasions."

His dad frowned, looking thoughtful. "Well, I hear such good things about her...you know, her parents are throwing this little get-together."

"Really, I had no idea," he said sarcastically.

His dad nodded earnestly. "Really? I'm surprised you didn't put that together, son. Well, anyway, she seems like such a nice girl. Sometimes I wonder why you don't date girls like that."

His mum sniffed in disapproval. "All you do is bring home those slutty girls. There one night and gone the next morning. Honestly, all a mum wants for her son is a nice girl. Is that too much to ask for?" she demanded.

"I'm working on it," Lucas muttered as Grace ran out of the house. She hugged Teddy and his grandmother, ushering them all inside. When she turned and saw Lucas with his parents, her smile hardened. She gave his parents a small little wave before going back inside awkwardly.

Lucas followed his parents inside. To his dismay, he realized that Grace was busy talking to Finn and Teddy. So, he went outside, searching for his friends. Instead, he found Victoire and Skylar standing awkwardly in the garden. Skylar seemed to be making an attempt at conversation, but Victoire seemed distracted. Finally, she muttered something about the bathroom, leaving Skylar alone. Skylar watched her leave, a sad expression on her face.

He wondered briefly what was going on with Victoire. She always seemed so well put together. Last night at the party, though, he saw a whole different side of her. She was no longer the quiet girl who sat in the back, ignoring all the attention her good looks got her. Now, she seemed to thrive on the attention, her eyes glittering as everybody stopped and stared as she walked by. Still though, Luke had to admit she looked a tad uncomfortable with so much attention.

He wandered around the big backyard a bit, looking for his friends. When he couldn't find them, he found himself standing next to Skylar. She was watching a goofy looking older man talk to Bill Weasley. The older man kept tugging at his collar nervously, glancing around eagerly.

"That your dad?" he asked her.

Skylar glanced at him. "How'd you know?"

"He nearly had a heart attack five minutes ago when those gnomes got into a fight," Luke told her.

She smiled. "He's not used to it...the magic, I mean. When my mum was alive, she always tried to keep the magic to a minimum for his sake."

He nodded. "Well, he seems to be coping with it well."

Skylar regarded him with suspicion. She seemed to be deciding whether or not he was up to something. Lucas had expected this much, especially since she was Teddy's girlfriend. "Why are you staring at me like that?" he asked her.

"I'm trying to figure out what you're up to," she muttered.

"Nothing," Luke said, shrugging. The truth was, he was hoping he could somehow lead her into a conversation about Grace. For some reason, he felt the urge to learn as much about her as he could. Unfortunately, before he could bring Grace up, his name was called.

"Luke, come on, mate!" Grayson Foster called out. Grayson was one of Luke's best friend at Hogwarts. He was tall, skinny, and gangly with bright blonde hair and light blue eyes. "We're about to play Quidditch."

Luke's face broke out into a smile. "Brilliant!" he exclaimed. "Oh, erm...bye, Skylar..." he said lamely before rushing off to meet his best friend.

Skylar waved back at him uncertainly. He left her looking confused, her eyebrows arched slightly.

One of the things many people didn't know about Luke was that he loved playing Quidditch. He would have tried out for the team, he knew Teddy and Finn were just as good as him, so they would have made it as well. So, when time came around for tryouts, Luke opted out of trying out. He didn't want to be on the same team as those two tossers. Especially when he already had to share a room with them.

As he soared through the air on his borrowed broom, Luke noticed a small crowd gathering beneath him in Grace's backyard. Several of the adults had come outside, laughing and drinking wine. Luke kept subconsciously searching for Grace, but he couldn't find her. He was so busy looking for her that he barely noticed a bludger hurtling his way. Just in time wacked it away with all his strength. There was polite clapping from beneath him. Lucas looked down to find Victoire sitting against the brick wall, watching them play. When she saw Luke watching her, she raised her eyebrows, pointing to something behind him. He notcied the bludger coming at him just in time, and swerved out of the way quickly.

Lucas didn't know why Victoire was watching them play. Lucas and his friends certainly weren't the type of people she hung out with. She hung out with the princesses like Skylar, geniuses like Grace, and golden boys like Teddy. She didn't hang out with the social outcasts and 'badboys' of Hogwarts.

A few minutes later, Jim Rhodes whistled for them to get down. "You can keep playing, but I just wanted to tell you the food was ready." He pointed to the table in the center of the yard, piled with different kinds of foods. It looked almost as good as the food served at Hogwarts. Lucas and his friends all decided they were hungry and made their way to the table. Everybody else had served themselves and were already eating. Grace was eating with her friends, but Lucas could see her eyes kept flickering over to the next table. Collin was sitting there with a different girl. This time the girl was blonde with green eyes. Still, he didn't think she was as pretty as Grace.

For some reason, Lucas kept finding himself glancing back at Victoire. She wasn't eating anything. Instead, she was sitting against the same wall, a cigarette in her hand as she looked out into the distance at the setting sun. He wondered why she wasn't eating with her friends, but then he remembered the awkwardness between her and Skylar, and he finally understood.

"Hey, isn't that Collin Avery?" Diana, Grayson's girlfriend asked, pointing to the bloke with dark hair. "I thought he was dating Grace Rhodes..." Diana said uncertainly.

Luke shrugged unconcernedly. "Don't ask me to examine the love lives of two fifteen year olds."

"Damn, Victoire Weasley is looking _fit_," Grayson muttered appreciatively so that Diana couldn't hear.

Lucas nodded. "I guess. She's not really my type, though."

Tony Patterson snorted. "Mate, _everybody's_, your type."

"Not lately," Lucas muttered as Grace stood up abruply. He heard her say something about the restroom. "You know," he said, standing up, "I could really use the loo."

He followed Grace inside, but she didn't notice. She went inside a private study. Lucas assumed it was her dad's office because the walls were lined with old books, and a big wooden desk sat in the middle. Grace looked around the room before burying her head in her hands. She looked so vulnerable and sad that Luke almost wanted to go hug her.

"That blonde girl with Collin is quite good looking," he told her as he leaned against the doorway.

Grace jumped, startled. When she saw who it was, she sighed. "Apparently he thinks so too," she said sadly.

"But just so you know," Luke said quietly, stepping closer to her, "you're _ten _times fitter than she'll ever be."

Grace held her breath. Luke grinned, placing his hands on her waist. "No body has to know," he whispered, gently pressing his lips against her neck. He heard Grace let out a breathy sigh as his lips skidded down her cheeks to her neck.

She resisted, pulling away for a moment. "No...it was a one time thing..." she said feebly. "Never to happen again..."

"It doesn't have to be one time," he mumbled, his fingers trailing down her shirt.

She closed her eyes, looking as if she might give in, but a moment later, she pulled away. Her face hardened and she did her best imitation of Skylar's hair flip. "I've got a party to host," she said contemptuously.

As she began to walk away, Luke held her hand back. "If you change your mind...no one has to know, Gracie..."

She didn't look at him, though. She kept her eyes on the door, her jaw set. When he was finished talking, she jerked her hand away. Luke watched her march out of the room, her held high as though nothing of important had just happened.

* * *

Grace returned to the barbecue with her heart racing. She didn't understand how Lucas could do that to her. When he touched her like that, everything seemed forgotten. All she could think about were his hands on her waist and his lips on her neck. It was dangerous and exciting...and it made her want to turn right back around and rip all his clothes off again...

Then she saw Collin. And reality returned.

Luke was just a fantasy, an animal attraction. Lust and nothing more. Collin was her first love. He had been gentle and kind and loving. She missed the way he cupped her face in his hands before gently kissing her, the way he held her hand under the table during meals, or the way he waited patiently in the library as she spent hours searching for books.

Grace felt Skylar by her side. "Hey," she said cheerfully, "what's going on?"

"I miss Collin," Grace told her miserably.

Skylar frowned, glancing between Collin, who was a few feet away, to Grace. "You do know he's like two feet away, right?"

Grace glared at her. "You know what I mean."

"You've only been broken up a day! You know what you need to do now, don't you? Find a cute bloke to snog...take your mind off things..."

"That's the worst advice I've heard," she told Skylar. "Besides," she added under her breath, glancing back at Lucas, "it won't work."

Grace spent the rest of the night mingling with her classmates. The adults were mostly inside in the dining room, arguing about funds for the Quidditch Department and whether or not they should disband the school newspaper. Grace didn't understand why her parents partook in such a ridiculous thing. The board hardly made any real decisions.

"Status," Finn told her later, tossing a snitch back and forth with Teddy. "Haven't you realized that every parent in that board meeting is filthy rich or extremely famous or of the highest social standing?"

"My parent's aren't that rich," Grace protested.

Finn snorted. "Grace, they might not be the richest, but you definitely have it made. Look at the size of your house!"

"It's not nearly as big as yours," she countered.

"Fine, my house is bigger, but you're still one of the richest girls in our school." Finn glanced at Victoire, who was holding an awkward conversation with Skylar. "As for Vic, _everybody _knows the Weasleys. And Teddy's pretty much a Weasley himself. Even the Enemy Number One has high social standing parents and a buttload of money. As for Skylar...I'm not really sure what she's doing here...I mean, I know her dad's pretty well off...but he's a _muggle_..."

"My mum invited her," Grace explained.

Finn nodded, gazing intently at Skylar and Victoire. A flicker of sadness crossed his face as he watched Victoire. "Sometimes people forget that Vic was my friend too," he said softly, hurtling the snitch back at Teddy. "I missed her too..."

Grace looked at him. "I know."

She turned to watch Victoire again. She really was flawless, even when she looked absolutely miserable.

Victoire came from an extremely well-respected, honored family. Everybody knew who the Weasleys were, because, well, nearly everybody in that family was famous. Her uncle had defeated the darkest wizard of all time and was now head of the Auror Department. Her other uncle was the owner of Weasley Wizard Wheezes, the biggest joke shop in all of Europe. Her aunt was a famous Quidditch player that helped lead the Holyhead Harpies to victory five years in a row. Her parents were filthy rich and unbelievably good looking. Still, her entire family was extremely humble, and that's what Grace always loved about them. They never _seemed _rich. In fact, Victoire lived in a cozy cottage overlooking a small lake. They could easily live in the largest mansion Britain had to offer, but they chose to live in Shell Cottage.

Meanwhile, Grace lived in a huge house, and her family was a bunch of nobodies. Sure, they were nice people, but they never saved the world from evil or appeared on the cover of _Witch Weekly_ every month. Her dad was a businessman and her mum baked cookies.

"So," Finn said, the old smirk returning to his face, "what happened to you last night, anyway? Did you get lucky?"

"Could you be any cruder?" Grace made a face.

He shrugged. "Sure I can, but that's beside the point. Is there anything you wish to tell me, Gracie?" he asked, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"Absolutely not," she said firmly. There was no way she was about to reveal that she lost her virginity to what Finn would call the 'Enemy Number One.'

"Fine," he said, sighing. "I bet nothing really happened anyway. You probably just went home and read your ruddy books."

"I wish," Grace muttered.

* * *

Grace sat on the porch steps, watching Skylar and her dad drive off. Many wizarding families stopped and stared at the sight of a real muggle driving a real car in their wizard-exclusive neighborhood. Near Finn's house, Teddy and Victoire appeared to be having a whispered argument. Finn was standing in between them awkwardly, attempting to diffuse the tension. Andromeda and Victoire's parents were a few feet away from them, laughing, unaware of their children fighting.

Grace glanced back at her house. There were only a few party guests left, and she was sure nobody would notice if she snuck up to her room. As she scurried up the stairs, she noticed her parents in the kitchen. They were glaring at each other, having what appeared to be a whispered argument.

"We'll discuss this after everybody leaves," Aimee hissed, stalking away from her husband.

Grace sighed, hurrying to her room. She wondered if she would be able to get any sleep that night what with her parents fighting. She pushed open the door to her room, where there was a majestic owl waiting for her. He looked like one of the Hogwart's barn owls, and Grace held her breath as he stuck out his leg. She rushed forward, untying the letter from his leg. As soon as he was free, the owl took off, but Grace hardly noticed.

She ripped open the thick envelope, dumping all its contents onto her bed. There, lying against her blue duvet, was a shiny golden badge with a large 'P' in the center. Letting out a squeal, Grace went to the mirror, proudly pinning the badge on her chest. Beaming, she scribbled a quick letter to Skylar before returning to her bed to read her exam grades.

An hour later, after she heard her mother shut the door for the last guest to leave, Grace scurried downstairs, the shiny badge in her hand.

"Mum! Dad!" she called, taking the steps two at a time. "Mum, you won't believe this! I've got -" she stopped mid-sentence, seeing her parents glaring at each other from across the living room.

"Grace, can you give your father and I a minute, please?" Aimee asked, not even bothering to look at Grace. "We've got something important to discuss."

With that, her parents turned and marched into the alcove, where Grace could hear their muffled shouts from behind the closed door. Their happy couple charade completely gone. Grace almost wished for the party to return, that way her parents could at least act like a couple in love.

"No problem," Grace said bitterly under her breath. "I was just made prefect, that's all."

She stood at the bottom of the staircase, staring at the spot in which her parents had just disappeared. A sudden anger began to get a hold of her. All she wanted to do was make her parents feel as bad as she did, to hurt Victoire as much as she Victoire had hurt her, to break Collin's heart as he much as he had broken hers...She tossed her badge aside, striding to the front door. She felt her feet take her outside as the front door slammed shut behind her, not that her parents noticed.

There was only one person that could bring a hint of a smile on her face. Only one person that took away all the confusion and hurt in her heart.

* * *

She stood in front of the large white house before her. She could feel the firewhiskey burning in the back of her throat, but she didn't care. She clung to the excitement and thrill that was coming as she stood before the grand house. Grace marched up to the front door, knocking lightly.

The door opened slightly to reveal Lucas. When he saw her, he raised his eyebrows.

"Nobody has to know?" she asked, remembering the way he had kissed her in the alcove hours earlier.

Luke's face split into an easy smile. "Nobody has to know," he promised, holding the door open for her.

* * *

**A/N: I wanted to thank everybody for all the amazing reviews you've all been leaving! It means so much to me that people are actually reading this fic!**

**Also, I know this chapter wasn't really Teddy/Vic focused, but don't worry, the next chapter will be centered around them :)**

**Anyway, I just want to thank everybody who's been reading and/or reviewing. **

**-Summer4Girl**


	6. Never Going Back To Okay

_It's not the end_  
_But it feels like it is_  
_I'm waking up_  
_Like I'm back from the dead_  
_I'm stepping out_  
_And I feel so afraid _  
_But as long as I'm moving it's all right_

_I feel alive_  
_And it hurts for a change_  
_And looking back and it's hard to believe_  
_That I was cool _  
_With the days that I wasted complacent and tasteless and bored but_  
_That was yesterday_

**_-The Afters_**

* * *

Teddy stretched out on Victoire's bed, looking around. It'd been over a year since he'd last been in her room. Not much had changed, but Teddy noted sadly that it looked much less lived in.

"What are you doing here?" Victoire asked, stumbling into her room, her hair still damp from her shower.

"Waiting for you," he replied as she went to her mirror, studying her reflection.

"What for?" she asked, gently brushing out her wet hair. She gazed at Teddy's reflection in the mirror, her sparkling blue eyes narrowing suspiciously.

Teddy dug into his pockets, sheepishly taking out a golden badge. "I'm Head Boy," he told her, a small grin on his face. He waited for Victoire's reaction, but she didn't look surprised.

"Yeah, I figured it'd be you," she finally said, standing back to examine herself.

Teddy sat up slightly. "You did?" he asked, surprised.

The corners of Victoire's lips twitched. "Who else what it be?" she asked, turning around to face him. "You're top of the year, a prefect, you got twelve O.W.L.S last year...you're basically the model student...that is, I'm assuming the headmaster doesn't know about all your pranks and sneaking around..."

Teddy stared at Victoire. He wasn't sure if she was complimenting him or not. That was the thing about Victoire nowadays: he never really quite knew where he stood with her. "Yeah, well, my grandmother's throwing a bit of a dinner party tonight to celebrate...you're coming, right?" he asked her hopefully.

"I don't really have a choice," she replied miserably. "My parents will probably make me go."

Teddy stared at her. "There's the spirit. Please, don't try and act too excited for my sake."

She sighed. "I didn't mean it like that...just that...you know Grace and Skylar will be there..."

He sighed. "Just tell me you're going."

Victoire studied him, an odd expression on her face. Teddy wondered what was going through her head. She used to be the first person he would come to with anything, but as he sat there in her bed, Teddy realized that Victoire was a stranger now.

"I promise," she finally agreed. "I wouldn't miss it."

He couldn't help but feel a grin spread across his face. "Brilliant!"

Rolling her eyes, Victoire returned to the mirror. Teddy wondered if that was his cue to leave, but he couldn't bring himself to walk out. He leaned back against her bedpost, his fingers fiddling nervously against her comforter. When he didn't leave, Victoire frowned, watching him. "Teddy?" she asked softly, sitting at the edge of the bed.

Teddy stared at her. He was surprised to see concern on her face...was it concern? "What's wrong?" she demanded, crossing her arms.

"Nothing," he muttered, forcing a smile.

Victoire glared at him. He could never fool her. "Teddy, I've known since before I could even walk. I can always tell when something's bothering you. Now, are you going to tell me or am I going to force it out of you?"

He sighed. "Nothing...it's stupid...it's just that my dad..."

"...you're wondering what he'd say if he were still alive," Victoire finished knowingly.

Teddy sighed, sitting back. "Yeah...I mean, what advice would he give me? Would he be proud?"

Victoire's eyes softened. "Teddy, you have to know how proud your parents would be of you...I can't believe you would even ask that..."

"Would they, though? Vic, I don't know if I can do this job...Head Boy? I mean, how boggered was the headmaster when he made that decision. I can barely keep Finn in line, and most of the time, I'm getting into as much trouble as he is. I'm not the right person for the job..."

Sighing, Victoire crossed her arms, fixing a stern gaze on Teddy. "That's enough. I'm not going to sit here and listen to you wallow in self-pity. It's pathetic."

"Wow, no need to sugar code anything, Vic."

"Teddy, there's a reason the headmaster chose you for Head Boy. It's because you're annoyingly perfect, and he knew you were the right person for the job. And as for your parents? I think they would agree with me. You need to get off your bony arse and celebrate the fact that you got such an honorable job. There's no need to sit here and moan about your stupid insecurities. It's a major turn off. And frankly, it's a bit pathetic."

"You say the sweetest things to me, Victoire Weasley."

"Godric, grow some balls, Teddy," she continued as if he hadn't interrupted her. "Celebrate this! All you can do is try and do a good job. And if things don't work out, then what's the worse that can happen? We find out that there's one thing you can't do? Oh, the horror." Victoire stood up, annoyed. "I swear, you're so thick sometimes."

Teddy stared at her. "I just love these little pep talks of ours."

Victoire flipped her hair back. "Glad I could help," she said before strutting out her room, her head held high.

Teddy stared after her until she disappeared completely, her head bobbing down the stairs. Sighing, Teddy stood up, making his way toward the small window in her room. He knew Victoire had a point, but he still felt something missing inside. He knew, one day, if Victoire ever became Head Girl, her parents would be there, cheering her on, telling her how proud they were of her. Teddy, on the other hand, didn't have a dad to clap him on the back or a mum to fuss over him. He had his grandmother, and no matter how much he loved her, sometimes, it just wasn't enough.

And that was the sad part. No matter how well Teddy did in school, nothing he did would ever bring his parents back. He could inherit his mum's metamorphmagus and his dad's brains...but that was just it. A trait. Something to be passed on. Not the original thing. Without glancing back, Teddy lifted open the window, carefully climbing out.

* * *

Harry stood back, examining his handiwork. Sure, most of the food was burnt and there were crumbs scattered all over the kitchen floor, but at least Ginny was still asleep. And she was relaxed. At least, she would be until she came down and found the mess in her kitchen.

"Dad?" Harry turned to find James staring at the breakfast table, looking confused. "Did you make breakfast?"

Harry grinned, pulling a chair out for his son. "All by myself!" he said proudly. "I thought your mum might want to sleep in this morning...she's been a bit stressed..."

James nodded. "Okay...but you burnt the food. And you made a mess. Don't you reckon that'll stress her out even more?"

"It's harder than it looks, okay!" Harry said defensively. "Just eat your food!"

James picked up a piece of toast, which was burnt so badly that it was nearly all black. He looked at his dad, then back at the burnt toast, and snorted. "Ladies and gentlemen, the Boy Who Lived." He reached for the eggs, but put them back once he caught a whiff of their foul smell. "Sure, he can defeat the darkest wizard of all time, but can he make breakfast? Nope." James grinned at himself, pleased with his wit.

Harry stared at his oldest son. "Remind me again why we keep you?"

James shrugged. "Entertainment."

Harry rolled his eyes. "You are your mother's son."

"And you're her husband. And if you want to continuing being so, I would suggest you get rid of this breakfast."

Harry looked around, grimacing. "You've got a point. Do you mind using the floo network to go to your grandmother's? She always makes enough food to feed an army...see if she'll let you bring back something edible"

"And what are you going to do?" James asked, hopping out of his seat.

Harry followed his son into the living room, where there was a grand fireplace. "I'm going to clean up that mess," he replied.

James nodded, grabbing a handful of dark powder. Just as he was about to step into the fireplace, it roared, and out stepped a beautiful girl with silvery blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.

"Dad, Victoire's here," James said, pushing her out of the way.

"Nice to see you too," Victoire mumbled as James stepped into the fireplace, not even bothering to say hello.

"The Burrow!" James shouted before a blue fire engulfed.

"Hey, Victoire," Harry said, surprised to see his eldest niece standing in his living room so early in the morning.

"Why's James going to the Burrow?" Victoire frowned.

Harry felt his face flush. "Erm...I attempted to make breakfast."

Victoire stared at him. "Ah."

"Don't tell anyone?" he pleaded.

She cracked a small smile. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"So," he asked, heading back into the kitchen. "Not that it's not nice to see you, but what brings you here?"

Victoire was about to answer when she saw the horrible mess that was the kitchen. "What happened in here?" she demanded. "It can't be that hard to make breakfast."

Harry sighed, shaking his head. "It's all these new magical appliances...I don't know how to use them! I'm used to cooking the muggle way...you know, because of my aunt and uncle..."

Victoire nodded, perching herself onto the counter. "Anyway, I needed to talk to you about something."

Harry waved his wand lazily, and the kitchen began to clean itself up. The crumbs found there way into the trashcan, the spilt orange juice disappeared, and the dishes began cleaning themselves. "Me?" he asked in surprise.

"Yeah...it's about Teddy," she said quietly.

Harry stopped what he was doing. "Is everything okay?"

"It's fine...well, it's not but it is...you know how Teddy is."

"Yeah, I'm going to need a bit more information than that."

Victoire sighed. "Well, you know how he was made Head Boy, right?"

Harry grinned proudly. "He came and told me last night. Merlin, can you believe it? It seems like it was just yesterday he was sitting at the dinner table, making animal faces...and I mean that quite literally."

Victoire smiled. "Yeah, he told me this morning...but erm...I'm a bit worried about him..."

"Why?" Harry asked, frowning.

"He was a bit upset...about his parents..." she replied quietly. "I didn't...I didn't really know what to say. And you're always so good when it comes to those sort of things..."

"I'll talk to him," Harry assured her, a sudden weight on his heart. He cursed himself for not realizing something was up with Teddy sooner. He'd been quiet at dinner, but Harry had just figured Teddy was being humble.

Victoire's face split into a sad smile. "Thanks...I just don't want this to ruin such a happy occasion for him."

Harry stared at his neice. It'd been so long since she'd shown her soft side. It didn't surprise him that Teddy was the one to bring it out. She'd always been a nice girl, but the accident with Chris had really shaken her up. He understood what she was going through, her need to shut out everybody else. She was just trying to protect herself, to keep herself from getting hurt.

"You know," he told her quietly, "you're actually a nice person deep down."

"Deep deep down," Victoire corrected with a small laugh.

Just then, the door burst open, and James walked in, his mouth full, carrying a basket of food. "Dad," he said once he finally managed to swallow, "Can we have Grandma's cooking every morning?"

Victoire's eyes widened as she reached for a scone in the basket. "Merlin, I'd forgotten how good her cooking was," she said, stuffing the scone in her mouth.

"Maybe if you were around more, you'd remember," James told her. Harry flicked him on the head.

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Maybe if you weren't such a wise arse, I'd come by more often," she replied.

James ignored her. "Are you staying for breakfast?" he asked.

"Nah, I've got to be somewhere," she told him, ruffling his already messy hair. With one last look at Harry, Victoire was off, striding back to the living room. She stepped into the fire, but before she threw the floo powder, she glanced back at the kitchen. James and Harry were laughing, setting up the table with Grandma Weasley's delicious cooking. Smiling sadly, Victoire threw the floo powder down. "St. Mungo's!" she said clearly before a blue fire engulfed her.

* * *

Victoire stumbled through the busy hallways. Healers were striding by, murmuring about different patients or carefully carrying potions.

She turned the corner, heading into the bright yellow room where Chris was still unconscious. However, when she walked into the room, she was surprised to see a skinny girl with shoulder-length brown hair sitting beside him. She was holding his hand affectionally, murmuring something in his ear. Victoire considered backing away and giving her some privacy, but it was too late. The girl glanced up and saw her.

"Oh, it's you," the girl said distastefully.

"Dani..." Vic said. Seeing Danielle hurt almost as much as seeing Chris.

To say that Danielle and Christopher were in love was an understatement. The two of them spent every moment together that they could manage. Victoire had never seen anybody look at a girl the way Chris looked at Danielle. They were best friends who fell in love. It was as simple as that. There was no drama, no fighting, no jealousy...they were the perfect couple.

"You look different," Victoire told her. Last time she'd seen Danielle, the girl had long wavy hair and sparkling hazel eyes. Now, Danielle wore her hair short and the sparkle in her eyes were gone. Instead, Dani looked worn down and tired.

"So do you," Danielle replied, staring at Victoire's short skirt and low cut top.

Victoire pulled down her skirt. "So," she began awkwardly, "how have you been?"

"My boyfriend's been in a coma for over a year...how do you think I've been?"

Victoire nodded. "Right...I didn't know you still came by...I haven't seen you..."

Danielle turned to look back at Chris, her features softening. "I was traveling this summer...but I come by whenever I can...I reckon he needs visitors since his best friend took off without so much as a goodbye..."

Victoire took a deep breath. "Yeah, about that...I'm sorry I never wrote or stopped by...I mean to, but...I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings..."

Danielle scoffed, standing up. "You think that's why I'm upset? Because you didn't write to me? Please, I'm not that codependent."

Victoire was confused. "I don't understand...what're you so upset about then?"

Danielle glared at her. "Tell me, did you ever think about Teddy while you were gone?"

"Teddy?"

"He took what happened really hard. He needed you more than ever. And where the hell were you? Did you know he cried every single night, right here in this very room? Not that he would ever let anyone see him. Or did you know that he was depressed for weeks after you left? He needed you and you went away. Why did you go away? We all needed you here and you pissed off. Chris is in a fucking coma, Vic. And where were you?"

"You don't understand...I just couldn't stay here. _I couldn't_." Victoire's voice cracked and she tried to swallow back her tears.

Danielle made her way around Chris' bed. "You're not the only one that lost him, Vic. I lost him too, but the difference is that I stuck it out. I did what Chris would have wanted me to do. You...you just disappointed everybody. Chris loved you so much...I don't understand how you could have done that to him...to just leave him, abandon him...He always told me you would do great things, and I always believed him...but now? Now, I'm not so sure. You've changed. And I don't think it's for the best."

"There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about him. I know I let things get out of hand. I know he wouldn't like the person I've become." Victoire's voice was shaking now, tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Danielle frowned. "Then do something about it," she said, striding past Victoire.

"Dani!" Victoire called out before she turned the corner. "His parents...how are they?" she asked softly.

Danielle didn't turn around. "Maybe you should find out for yourself," she replied before slamming the door shut behind her.

* * *

The Watson's had a nice, regular home. Anybody driving by would look at the manicured lawn and the elegant walkway, and assume a nice, normal family lived there. They would never know the dark gloom that had haunted the house for over a year now. Nobody could guess from Alex Watson's cheerful demeanor that he was barely holding it together, always seconds away from losing it completely. Nobody knew that behind Charlotte Watson's bright personality and kind smile, there was a woman who cried herself to sleep every night. Nobody knew the sadness the Watsons carried with them.

So, as Victoire sat on the Watson's couch, she felt like crying. She couldn't take walking by all those pictures of Chris, his happy smile frozen. She couldn't take looking into Charlotte Watson's sad hazel eyes, the same hazel eyes she had passed on to Chris. She couldn't take the dark circles under the frail woman's eyes. She couldn't even manage looking out the window, where two little girls were playing, growing up without their only brother.

"I brought you some tea," Mrs. Watson said, slowly carrying a tray of tea and cookies into the living room.

Victoire smiled as Mrs. Watson poured some tea into her small cup. "Thanks. I'm sorry I never came by to visit sooner."

Mrs. Watson waved her off. "Oh, I know you've been busy with school," she said, sitting back in the armchair. "So, tell me, how've you been?"

Usually, this was were Victoire lied and told her she was fine. But looking into Mrs. Watson's sad hazel eyes, she knew she couldn't lie to this woman. At least, not about Chris. "Honestly," she said, her voice cracking, "I've been horrible."

Mrs. Watson nodded knowingly. "So have I. My only son...he's so smart and handsome...I always thought he was going to save the world...he was so excited about magic, and we were so proud of him...how he learned everything so quickly." She reached over, grabbing Victoire's hand. "And you played a big part in that...telling him about magic, teaching him..."

Victoire felt a few tears trickle down her cheeks. "All I did was tell him he was a wizard...the rest was all on him..."

"You were his best friend...you and Teddy...I can't think you enough for bringing such joy into his life...he loved you so much..." Mrs. Watson squeezed her hand, a grateful smile on her face.

Without warning, Victoire burst into tears. Alarmed, Mrs. Watson wrapped her arms around Victoire, gently murmuring words of comfort into her ear, words that only a mother would know to say. "I'm so sorry, so so sorry..." Victoire sobbed. "Chris didn't deserve this...it's all my fault...I'm sorry..." she managed to choke out.

"Victoire, dear," Mrs. Watson exclaimed, "it's not your fault...you never did anything to hurt my son. It is _not _your fault."

She cradled Victoire in her arms, gently smoothing out her silvery, blonde hair. Victoire, for her part, couldn't help but keep crying. She'd hid all her emotions, all her tears for a year. She didn't know what had suddenly triggered this new wave of emotion, but it had opened up a floodgate. Everything she'd kept inside for the past year was coming out in that moment.

"I'm sorry," she whispered again before Mrs. Watson shushed her.

* * *

Bill checked his watch again. "Victoire promised she'd be here," he told everybody again.

"I'm sure there's a good reason she's late," Harry said placidly.

Teddy sighed, looking around at all his family and friends gathered in his living room. "Well, I reckon if everybody's hungry...we should start without her..." he muttered. "What do you think?" he asked his grandmother.

Andromeda looked around. "Well, we shouldn't keep our guests hungry! I'm sure Victoire will be here soon, anyway!" she exclaimed, leading everybody into the dining room.

"I am so sorry, Teddy," Fleur said apologetically, her dazzling blue eyes gazing at him intently.

Teddy forced a smile. "It's fine. Not a big deal. It's just a dinner, right? Besides, I'm sure she'll be here."

"What a surprise," Grace muttered, walking past him with Skylar. "Victoire let us down again."

"Grace," he said, sighing.

She looked at him. "I'm sorry. Hunger makes me grumpy."

"Then let's go eat," Skylar said firmly, shooting Teddy an apologetic look as she dragged Grace away.

"Teddy," Harry said in a low voice, "can I talk to you alone?"

Teddy glanced at all his guests seated around the table, chatting happily, serving themselves food. "Sure," he said uncertainly. Harry had already given him the 'I'm so proud of you' speech, so he wasn't sure what this was about. "What's going on?" he wondered as Harry led him around the corner.

"Victoire came by this morning," Harry said quietly.

"That's very fascinating information."

Harry ignored him. "She was worried about you."

Now, that surprised Teddy. "She was? Why?"

Harry gazed at him intently. "You know you can come to me about anything, right?"

"Of course."

"So, why didn't you tell me you were upset about your parents?"

Teddy sighed. "Vic told you."

"No, a flying reindeer told me. Yes, Victoire told me."

"She shouldn't have said anything."

"But she did."

Teddy sighed, looking away from Harry. "It's nothing. It's stupid."

"No, it's not. It's perfectly normal for you to miss your parents. I miss mine all the time. Especially when James, or Al, or Lily were born. I wanted more than anything for them to be there so that I could share my excitement with them, so they could meet their grandkids. You know I love Molly and Arthur, and they have been amazing to me...like second parents...but nobody could ever replace my mum and dad."

"I can't even remember mine, though."

"I can hardly remember mine either."

"Then why do I miss them so much if I didn't even know them?"

"It's good that you miss them...they loved you so much...when you were born, I never saw your dad ever look that happy. The look on his face...I never knew that kind of happiness until my own children were born. He was so proud to be your father, so humbled. He couldn't believe you were all his. And he may be gone now, but I believe he's still watching over you. I think he'd be proud if he saw the way you've grown up."

Teddy swallowed. "I don't think so...I don't know if I can do this job, Harry."

Much to his surprise, Harry rolled his eyes. "Godric, you're so much like your dad sometimes. You know, he was always the same way. He couldn't believe he was chosen to be prefect. He was always degrading himself. I don't think he ever realized how amazing he truly was. Not a day goes by that I don't miss him."

"And how do you handle that?" Teddy wondered.

Harry smiled sadly. "I don't. I focus on the good memories. The good times."

"Yeah, well, I don't have any memories of him."

Harry looked at him seriously. "Then you need to honor the stories I tell you of him. Keep his legacy alive."

"What legacy?"

"You, you dungbrain."

"Me?"

"I told you. Your dad was his happiest when you were born. _You're _his legacy. So, make him proud. And you don't need to be the best at everything to make him proud, you know. Your dad may have been brilliant, but I remember him most for his kindness. The same kindness that you possess. That's what would have made him proud. The way you treat others, the way you take care of Andromeda, the way you protect everybody in this family...trust me, Teddy, you don't need to try too hard to make your parents proud."

After one last meaningful look at Teddy, Harry straightened up. "Come on, let's go celebrate!"

* * *

Victoire scurried over the hill, where she could see the small house in the distance. Streaking past all the houses, she finally made it to Teddy's yard. She could see him talking to Harry outside. Ginny and the kids were waiting for him across the street, discreetly looking away when Teddy and Harry hugged tightly. Finally, Harry clapped Teddy on the back and left. Teddy watched them go, a sad expression on his face.

Deciding it was safe, Victoire stepped out of the shadows. "Teddy?" she said softly.

Startled, Teddy turned around. When he saw who it was, his face hardened. "You promised you'd be here," he said angrily.

"I am here!"

"Vic, the party's over. Your parents left about twenty minutes ago."

Victoire winced. "I know...I'm sorry..."

"You know, you've been apologizing a lot lately."

"I went to see Chris' parents," she blurted out.

He paused. "How are they?" he finally asked.

"Miserable," she replied. "But I'm glad I went."

"Why's that?"

"They made me realize something. Well, Danielle made me realize something, but Chris' parents made me realize I needed to do something about it."

"What are you talking about?"

Victoire took a deep breath. "Teddy, I'm not the same person that left here a year ago. I've changed."

"Clearly," Teddy said icily.

Victoire took a step closer. "I'm serious, Teddy. I've changed. When I was at Beauxbaton...I just blocked everything out...I refused to feel anything. And it worked for me. I didn't feel so miserable, but coming back here...seeing Chris and you and Dani...it hurts for a change..." She could feel her voice cracking, but she refused to cry anymore. She'd already done too much of it that day. Now, she needed to move on, to make a change, to do something about the mess she'd created. "I'm not the same person I was a year ago," she repeated. "And I don't know how to be that person anymore. I don't know how to be your friend anymore. I can't make myself be that person again, Teddy, and I'm sorry."

Teddy stared at her. "I don't need you to be that person again. I just need you to be here, Vic. I need you to try."

Victoire nodded. "I can do that."

The two of them stared at each for a moment, unsure of what to do now. They didn't know what the future held for them, but one thing was certain, they couldn't face it alone. As much as Victoire hated to admit, she needed Teddy. He was her rock, the one that kept her grounded, the one that protected her. He was her best friend.

* * *

Victoire walked numbly into the kitchen of Shell Cottage, where Bill and Fleur were waiting for her expectantly. One look at them, and she knew she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this one.

"Where have you been?" Fleur demanded, all traces of her soft, musical voice gone.

"You promised us you would be at Teddy's," Bill said quietly, his dark brown eyes full of disappointment.

"I know. I'm sorry." For the first time since she'd arrived, Victoire truly meant her apology.

"Are you?" Bill asked, not believing her.

"Yes, I'm sorry I wasn't there, and I'm sorry about Beauxbaton and about everything else..."

Fleur blinked, looking at a loss for words. "What?"

"I know I never really apologized for it...I never meant to cause so much trouble at Beauxbaton or to get Dominique in trouble or put you through all of that stress and worry..._I'm sorry_...I promise I'm going to be better...I swear...I'm gonna try really hard..."

Fleur looked stunned. She and Bill exchanged uneasy looks.

"I'm willing to accept any punishment you feel necessary," Victoire continued, "and I'm going to fix this...I'm going to make it better..."

Bill sighed. Victoire realized how old her father was getting, the wrinkles around his eyes becoming more prominent. "Just...just go to your room, Vic."

Fleur was still stunned, unable to speak. It'd been so long since she and her daughter had managed to have a polite conversation, one that didn't end in Victoire stomping out of the room or Fleur bursting into tears. "We'll discuss this tomorrow," she finally managed to say.

Victoire nodded before turning around and traipsing up the stairs.

"Vic!" Bill called. Victoire stopped halfway up the stairs, turning to look at her father. "You better mean what you said," he warned.

Victoire looked at him. "I do," she promised.


	7. Show Me What I'm Looking For

_Save me, I'm lost_  
_Oh, Lord, I've been waiting for you_  
_I'll pay any cost_  
_Save me from being confused_  
_Show me what I'm looking for_  
_Show me what I'm looking for_

**_-Carolina Liar_**

* * *

"Zip me up, will you?" Grace demanded impatiently.

Luke rolled out of bed, stumbling up to Grace. She had her back to him, waiting expectantly for him to zip up her dress. Smiling, Luke gently brushed her dark hair aside, exposing the bare skin beneath. With a small smirk, he gently pressed his lips against her neck, eliciting a small gasp from Grace.

"Luke, stop..." she protested half-heartedly. "I need to go..."

"You can be a little late," he mumbled, before spinning her around, giving her a long, lingering kiss.

"LUCAS! WHERE ARE YOU?" A loud screech interrupted the two of them.

Grace pulled away from Luke, raising her eyebrows. "I think your mum's looking for you," she said.

He cursed under his breath. "She has the worst timing."

Grace grinned. "Just as well, I have to go anyway...I promised Teddy I'd meet him for lunch..."

Luke made a face. "You'd rather go have lunch with _Lupin__, _than spend time with...this..." he exclaimed, motioning to his body.

Grace rolled her eyes. "I'll see you tonight."

Luke watched her go. She slipped out onto his balcony, gracefully climbing down the railing.

"LUKE!" his mum screeched again.

Annoyed, Luke turned around. "COMING!" he yelled back, slipping on a pair of sweatpants.

* * *

Victoire glared at her parents, her arms crossed. "You can't be serious," she muttered.

"You promised you would make it up to us," Bill reminded her.

"That was before I found out you two wanted to send me to the loony bin," she snapped.

"There's nothing wrong with therapy," Fleur reasoned.

"Yeah, maybe if you talked to yourself or heard voices in your head, but as both of you can clearly see, none of those two qualities pertain to me."

Fleur rolled her eyes. "Victoire, must you be so dramatic?"

Victoire stared at her mother. "Yes, I must."

Bill sighed, sitting into the chair opposite his daughter. "We just want to help you get better, Vic."

"I'm _fine_," she said for what felt like the hundredth time.

"No, you're not," Bill said seriously. "The way you handled everything with Christopher...it's not healthy..."

Victoire crossed her arms, her jaw set. "I'm not talking about this."

"And that's the problem right there!" Fleur exclaimed, exasperated. "You refuse to speak with us!"

"Just promise us you'll think about it?" Bill stood up, his light brown eyes gazing intently at his daughter, waiting for her response.

"Fine." Victoire sighed. Although she didn't intend on changing her mind about therapy, Victoire didn't want to argue with her parents anymore. She was tired of the constant fighting and bickering. She was tired of watching her mum cry after one of their blow outs, her beautiful face red and puffy. She was tired of the disappointment written all over her dad's face when he looked at her. She wanted her parents to look at her the way they used to, their faces beaming with pride.

Satisfied, Bill placed his hand on the small of Fleur'a back, leading her out of the kitchen. Victoire watched her parents leave. She hardly even noticed Teddy climb through the window, a wide grin on his face.

"You do know we have a door, right?" she asked, sitting back in her chair.

"This is more fun," he told her, stretching.

"You're so annoying, you know that?" she said as he sat down beside her.

"What's got you in such a foul mood?" he wondered, an amused smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"As opposed to my usual cheery, charming personality?" Victoire snorted.

He cracked a small smile. "You've got a point there. No, but really, what's going on?"

"My parents want me to go to therapy," she told him incredulously.

Teddy thought about it, his fingers fiddling against the table. "That's not a bad idea...I mean, it couldn't hurt, right?"

Victoire glared at him. "You can't be serious."

"I'm just saying...if it helps, then why not?"

"It _won't_ help," she told him flatly.

He shrugged. "Maybe it will...you don't know it won't...Anyway, that's not what I'm here to talk to you about..."

"Then why are you here?" she asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes at him.

"Today, I invited the whole gang to go to lunch...I think we need to discuss the recent tension that's developed..."

"The gang?" Victoire questioned, cutting him off.

"Yeah, you know...me, you, Skye, Gracie, Finn..."

"We're a gang now?"

"We're all friends, aren't we?"

"Are we?" Victoire asked, surprised.

"You don't think we are?" Teddy demanded.

She shrugged. "I mean...Grace hates my guts, and since when are you so close to Skylar and Gracie anyway?"

Teddy stared at her. "Since you left."

"So..._you_ lot are the gang...I'm not part of that group anymore," she said, shrugging.

"And you're okay with that?"

"Okay with the fact that Grace hates me? Of course not. But what can you do?" Victoire shrugged, getting up. "I fucked up, and now I have to live with the consequences. I can't change the past, and there's nothing I can do about it. So, I just live on miserably, knowing my best friend wants nothing to do with me."

Teddy stared at her. "That's very morbid thinking."

Victoire glanced at him. "Morbid but realistic."

Rolling his eyes, Teddy stood up. "See, _that's _why you need therapy."

"I don't need therapy!" she exclaimed furiously.

"Yes, you do," Louis said, walking into the kitchen. He glanced at Teddy. "Hey, Teddy."

"Hi, Lou," Teddy said, grinning. "See, Louis agrees with me. And that kid is a bloody genius."

"The kid's also a bloody prat," Victoire retorted, turning to face Louis. "What do you want, Lou?"

"Mum and Dad are taking us to get ice cream...are you coming?" he wondered.

"Nope," Teddy said before Victoire had a chance to reply. "She's coming out with me!"

"On a date?" Louis wondered.

Victoire made a face. "No!"

"You don't have to sound so disgusted," Teddy told her.

"It's gross!" Victoire explained. "You're like the brother I never wanted."

"I believe the expression is brother I never _had_," he corrected her.

Victoire stared at him. "Nope, trust me, I know what I said."

Louis looked bored. "Anyway, we're leaving in five minutes if you want to come."

Teddy and Victoire watched him leave. Finally, Teddy turned to Victoire. "What's so repulsive about the idea of dating me?" he demanded. "I can be quite good looking, you know...what with the whole being able to change my face...I can look like Brad Pitt if you want."

Victoire stared at him. "That's not hot, that's just plain creepy."

He rolled his eyes. "Let's go before I change my mind."

"As long as you use the door this time," she muttered, following him outside.

"Come on!" he shouted, traipsing across the garden. "It'll be fun!"

* * *

Grace rubbed her temples warily as she stood between Skylar and Finn, who were staring daggers at each other.

"Just admit you cheated," Finn said haughtily.

"Just admit you lost," Skylar retorted. "Face it, West. _I won_."

"Not possible," Finn said, shaking his head.

"Why not?" Skylar demanded.

"Because you're..._you_..."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Skylar looked deeply offended.

"This is so much fun, you guys. I'm so glad you invited me." Grace said sarcastically under her breath.

"You know what," Finn said, crossing his arms. "I have no idea what Teddy sees in you."

Skylar scoffed. "Funny. I was wondering the same thing about _you_!"

Sighing, Grace tuned out her bickering friends. Instead, she glanced around hopefully, looking for Teddy. What she saw instead made her freeze: Luke was walking down the crowded streets of Hogsmeade. Walking alongside him was a pretty girl with black hair and dark make up. The two of them were laughing and grinning like idiots.

For some reason that she didn't understand, it really bothered Grace to see Luke with another girl. Shaking it off, Grace looked away from him. He wasn't her boyfriend...he was just an escape. The sex didn't mean anything with him. It was just a good time, she told herself.

"Oh, you are so full of it," Skylar hissed.

"All I want is a rematch," Finn said stubbornly. "And if you really didn't cheat, then it shouldn't be a problem."

"For Godric's sake, it was just a game," Grace muttered.

"Teddy," Skylar said, spotting her boyfriend, "please tell your _stupid _friend he's a sore loser."

"Mate, your girlfriend is driving me mental," Finn announced hotly.

"What's going on?" Teddy asked Grace as Victoire stepped around him, revealing herself.

"I should ask you the same thing," Grace hissed. "What is _she _doing here?" she demanded, referring to Victoire.

Skylar and Finn glanced at Victoire, unsurprised to see her. "I invited her," Teddy told them cooly. "She is my best friend after all."

Finn frowned. "Should I be offended?"

"Yes," Skylar said icily.

Groaning, Finn turned to look at Teddy. "I'm sorry, mate, but there's no way I'm sitting through an entire meal with her."

Skylar, scoffed, offended. "Like I really want to spend my entire lunch hour with _you_."

Grace glared at Teddy. "I refuse to go if, _she _goes," she threatened, throwing Victoire a dirty look.

Victoire and Teddy exchanged looks. "You're right," Victoire said, "this is fun."

Teddy glanced at Victoire, fighting back a smile. "Will all of you just get inside the bloody restaurant?" he snapped, ushering all his friends forward.

* * *

Grace sat across from Victoire, glaring at her furiously. "I don't understand why we're all here, Teddy," Grace finally said, breaking the silence.

"Well," Teddy said slowly, "we're all friends, aren't we?"

"No," Victoire said, tearing her eyes away from Grace to look at Teddy. "Actually, we're not."

"Would you stop saying that?" he snapped, annoyed.

Victoire gave him a gentle smile. "Teddy, it's natural for people to grow apart."

"Is it natural for your best friend to just up and leave for a year without saying goodbye?" Grace snapped.

Skylar frowned. "Gracie, you really need to learn to let things go."

Grace was about to retort when she noticed Luke walk in the restaurant. He was still with the girl with black hair and dark make up. The girl whispered something to him, and he burst into laughter. Grace frowned, wondering what could possibly be so funny.

Sighing, Victoire turned to Grace. "What do you think?"

"I think this is ridiculous, and I see no reason for any of us to be here," Grace replied frostily, keeping her eyes on Luke as he sat a few tables away from her.

"You want to know what I think?" Finn asked, taking a sip of his butterbeer. "I think you're all fucking mental."

Skylar raised her eyebrows. "_We're _the crazy ones?"

Finn nodded earnestly. "Yeah, you're all a little screwed up in the head. Gracie, here, needs to learn to let things go and forgive people. It's not healthy to hold so much anger. Teddy seems to think he's the dad that needs to fix everything. And Vic? Well, she's just been an emotional wreck ever since Chris."

"Finn!" Teddy hissed at the mention of Chris' name.

Grace glanced at Victoire, and for a split second, she saw the wave of hurt cross her face. It quickly faded, though, being replaced by a blank expression.

"What about me?" Skylar asked. "What's wrong with me?"

Finn glanced at her. "You're just a bitch."

Skylar shrugged, seeming to accept his logic.

Grace glanced back at Luke, and she noticed he had been joined by his parents. His mum was doting on the girl with the dark hair, fussing over her appearance. Frowning, Grace wondered how serious Luke was about that girl.

"Anyway," Finn continued, "all of you need help. Especially, you, Vic."

"Told you," Grace heard Teddy mutter in Victoire's ear.

"Oh, shut it," Victoire snapped, annoyed.

"What are you on about?" Grace demanded as she watched Luke head toward the bathroom.

"Victoire's parents want her to see a therapist," Teddy told them. Victoire elbowed him.

Skylar stared at Victoire. "Are you going?"

"No," Victoire said forcefully, shooting Teddy furious looks.

Grace watched as Luke glanced back, and he finally spotted her. A grin spread across his face as he ushered her to come over. Sighing, Grace stood up. "You should go to therapy," she told Victoire sincerely. "You need it. And I'm not saying that to be mean."

Victoire blinked, looking shocked.

"Erm...Grace...where are you going?" Skylar asked as Grace excused herself from the table.

"Bathroom," she told them. "I can't stand sitting at this table any longer."

Grace left her bickering friends, hoping they hadn't seen Luke as well. "What are you doing here?" Grace hissed as Luke pulled her into the bathroom.

"I'm surprised to see you here," he told her, locking the door behind him. He turned around, placing his hands on her waist. "But since you're already here..."

Grace pulled away from him coldly. "My friends are out there."

"So," he mumbled, giving her a long kiss.

Grace pulled away. "I don't think this is a very good idea."

Luke frowned. "Why not?"

She scoffed. "Gee, I don't know...maybe because you already have another _date_ here!"

"Date? What are you talking about?" Comprehension suddenly dawned on his face. "Oh, you mean Eleanor."

"Eleanor? What kind of name is that?" Grace demanded.

Luke raised his eyebrows. "You sound jealous."

"I am _not _jealous," she retorted. "We're not a couple, remember? It's just a good time...no strings attached."

Luke nodded. "Good to know."

"Yeah, so, if you want to go on dates feel free. I don't really give a rat's arse."

He grinned. "Fantastic. There's just one little problem."

"What's that?"

"Eleanor is my cousin, not my date."

Grace flushed, her face burning. "Oh."

"That's the reason my mum so rudely interrupted us this morning. To tell me Eleanor had arrived for a surprise visit."

"So, she's not your date?" Grace clarified.

"No, that would be sick and disgusting," he told her.

Relief washed over Grace, and a smile spread across her face. "I've only got five minutes," she said, quickly unbuttoning his shirt.

Luke grinned, securing his hold on her as she jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm gonna need a little more time than that," he muttered before kissing her.

* * *

Ms. Patti was a stout, plump witch. She had short brown hair that was slowly fading into gray. She sat neatly in her armchair, peering through her glasses at the clipboard in her arms. Sitting in front of the woman, Victoire began to wonder how Teddy had managed to talk to her into coming here.

"Victoire?" Ms. Patti asked gently but firmly.

"Yes," Victoire replied cooly.

"We've been sitting here for twenty minutes, and you still haven't said a word."

There was a pause. "I just don't see the point, that's all," Victoire finally said.

"Don't see the point in talking?" Ms. Patti questioned.

"Yeah, I mean, it's all in the past, right? There's nothing you can do to change it."

Ms. Patti looked at Victoire. "That's true," she agreed. "But it _can _change the way you feel about it."

Victoire bit her lip dubiously. "I doubt it."

"You know," Ms. Patti told her, "we don't have to talk about anything you don't want to. We could talk about you. How's school?"

Victoire shrugged. "School's school."

"You don't like it."

"No...it's alright...I reckon my grades are decent enough. I mean, it's not nearly as good as Dominique's, and I doubt I'm as good a student as my parents were in their day...but I reckon I do well enough."

Victoire expected Ms. Patti to be scribbling down notes, but she just sat there, listening intently as Victoire spoke.

"I like Quidditch, though," Victoire continued.

"Do you play?" Ms. Patti asked, a small smile on her face.

"Not on a team or anything. Just with my family. I'm not the best, though, but I can sometimes surprise my aunts and uncles."

"Your family's a big fan of Quidditch, then?" Ms. Patti wondered.

"Well, yeah, my aunt Ginny even went pro. She's married to my uncle Harry, and they say he was the youngest Seeker in over a century. My uncle Charlie's a Seeker too. Uncle George and Ron play too. Oh, and Aunt Angelina. They're all brilliant players. And Teddy's a great player too, but I've beaten him loads of times. Not that he'd admit it, of course. He's a bit of a sore loser."

Ms. Patti frowned. "Teddy?"

"Yeah, he's my...erm...he's my friend." Victoire frowned. "We used to be best friends...but we're not anymore...I'm not really sure _what _we are these days..."

"What happened between the two of you?" Ms. Patti asked.

"I-I don't know...I don't know how everything got so messed up...how I became so _lost_...I'm so confused, and I don't know what I want anymore...I don't know how to make things better..." Victoire glanced up at Ms. Patti. "Can you help me?"

Ms. Patti gazed at Victoire intently. "If you let me."


	8. Gone Too Soon

_You were always there_  
_and like shining light_  
_on my darkest days_  
_you were there to guide me_

_Oh I miss you now _  
_I wish you could see _  
_Just how much your memory _  
_Will always mean to me_

_In a blink of an eye_  
_I never got to say goodbye_

**_-Simple Plan_**

* * *

Grace shrieked, clutching Finn so tightly, he let out a tiny gasp of pain. About ten minutes ago, Teddy had stupidly suggested they get on their brooms and fly around a bit. Everybody loved the idea, except Grace. She had to remind them about her fear of heights.

They didn't care.

"Relax, Gracie!" Finn coaxed. "Don't you trust me?"

"NO!" she screeched, terrified. "Bring me down! NOW!"

Finn laughed. "If you say so."

The next thing she knew, Finn was diving towards the ground at full speed. Grace screamed, terrified, burying her head in Finn's back, squeezing her eyes shut. At the last second, right before they crashed, a laughing Finn pulled out of the dive, gently hovering over the soft grass.

Grace hopped off his broom immediately, red-faced and furious. "That was a mean trick!"

Finn was still cracking up, his eyes watering. Grace stared at him in disbelief. She wondered how much trouble she'd get into if she hexed him.

A few moments later, Teddy landed beside them. Skylar, who had been clutching Teddy tightly, visibly relaxed when they landed. Teddy glanced at Grace and Finn. "And here I thought Skylar was bad," he muttered, shaking his head.

"Hey!" Skylar exclaimed, hitting his arm playfully.

"It was very cute, though," he told her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist.

Skylar grinned before kissing him gently. Meanwhile, Finn had finally managed to stop laughing, and he was now making gagging noises in the background.

"So," Teddy said, pulling away from Skylar and turning to his two other friends, "maybe flying wasn't such a good idea?"

"Oh, now he listens," Grace grumbled.

Finn put his arm around Grace. "Aw, didn't you have fun, Gracie?"

Grace stared at him. "Did you not hear my petrified screams?"

Finn winced. "Are you kidding me? Not only did I go temporarily deaf, but..." he pulled up his shirt, revealing several scratches on his bare skin, "...you nearly clawed me to death."

Grace grimaced. "Sorry."

"Teddy! I'm home!" Andromeda announced, sticking her head out the window. "I brought home some food if you lot are hungry."

"You guys hungry?" Teddy asked after he thanked his grandmother.

"I'll go for anything that doesn't involve flying," Skylar said, shuddering.

Finn sighed dramatically. "If Vic was here, there'd be no complaining about flying."

"Vic is a very good flyer," Skylar agreed.

"You know," Finn said thoughtfully to Teddy, "we should ask her to try out for the team this year."

Teddy took Skylar's hand. "Yeah, maybe," he said, leading the others back to the house.

Grace stood there a second longer, though, watching the way Teddy held Skylar's hand. She missed those small little moments of intimacy. She missed the way Collin would wrap his arm around her or hold her hand under the table. She missed being in a relationship.

Sure, what she had with Luke was fun, but it wasn't the same. With Luke, it was exciting and thrilling, and she felt alive when he kissed her. But with Collin, she felt safe and cared for. He was there for her, he was her rock. She missed that.

"Coming, Gracie?" Finn called back.

Grace rushed to catch up with them. "Yeah, of course!"

A few moments later, Grace found herself in between another argument between Finn and Skylar.

"Would the two of you cut it out?" Teddy asked, annoyed. He was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room.

"Just as soon as Skylar admits she's wrong," Finn said hotly.

Skylar groaned, turning away from him. "_Anyway_," she said, "where's your grandmother, Teddy?"

On cue, Andromeda entered the room, carrying a tray full of biscuits and cookies. Once she had greeted everybody, she turned to her grandson. "Teddy, where you lot on your brooms out there?" she asked.

Teddy looked guilty. "Yes, but I swear, none of the muggles saw us. We stayed really close to the property."

Andromeda looked troubled. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, plus we made sure not to fly too high," Teddy assured her.

Andromeda relaxed. "Just like your mother...I swear, the amount of times the neighbors saw her flying that ruddy broom of hers..." She left the room with a sad, nostalgic smile on her face.

"So, where's Vic?" Skylar wondered.

Teddy glanced at Grace nervously. "Erm...she had a therapy session today..."

Skylar nodded. "Is it...you know...is she making progress?"

Teddy thought about it. "A bit...I think Vic's having a bit of a hard time opening up. You know how she is."

Skylar sighed. "I just feel like I haven't seen her in ages."

"Why don't we surprise her tonight?" Finn suggested. "You know, take her out after she returns from therapy...let her know we support her and whatnot..."

Skylar stared at Finn. "Wow, West, for the first time in your life, I believe you've had an intelligent idea."

Grace kept her eyes on Teddy, noting how uncomfortable he looked. Personally, she wanted nothing to do with Victoire, but she would be lying if she said she didn't hope Victoire was getting better.

"I don't know," Teddy said reluctantly.

"Why not?" Finn demanded. "I mean, you're the only one that's gotten to see Vic in the past few weeks. I miss her too, you know."

"Well, I don't," Grace said, getting up. "Thanks for having me over, Teddy, but I've really got to get going."

"Gracie, don't go!" Skylar protested. "Look, if it makes you uncomfortable to talk about Vic, then we'll talk about something else."

Grace shook her head. "It's not that...I-I have to watch Henry," she told them.

She didn't necessarily lie to her friends. She did want to go home to check up on Henry. She'd left him all alone, all day with her parents. It was a Saturday, so her dad was home. Saturday's were the worst. Her parents would spend the entire day fighting, ignoring each other for a few hours, and then fighting all over again. Grace wanted to get home soon to take Henry out for a bit. He needed a break from their parents.

* * *

Skylar stared at the fireplace, watching as Grace disappeared into the blue flames.

"Do you think she left because we were talking about Victoire?" Finn wondered.

Skylar sighed. "I don't know...she's been acting so oddly lately. She just disappears all the time..." She turned to face Teddy. "I think I'm going to go to Vic's tonight...you know, have a bit of a girl's night with her..."

Teddy didn't look too excited about the idea. "I don't know, Skye..."

"I'm not asking your permission," she told him tartly. "I miss Victoire, okay? I need things to go back to the way they used to be."

Teddy sighed. "Just promise me you won't push her, okay? She's...she's really fragile right now...don't make her talk about Chris unless she volunteers information."

She nodded, noticing the way Teddy's eyes lit up with worry when he discussed Victoire. Skylar wondered if his eyes ever lit up when he talked about her. She knew he cared about her, but an annoying little voice in her head also told her that Teddy still felt something for Victoire.

"Okay," she promised. Teddy smiled, kissing her forehead.

"_Anyway_," Finn said, "this means that Teddy and I are having a bloke's night!"

"Oh no," Teddy muttered, sighing.

"Oh, yes."

Skylar didn't like how excited Finn looked. "Just don't get him in trouble tonight, okay?" Skylar said. "No jail, no expulsion...just good clean fun..."

"Does such a thing even exist?" Finn scoffed.

"If you want to live to see tomorrow, then yes," she threatened. "Such a thing _does _exist."

She glanced at Teddy, expecting to see a smile on his face, but he wasn't even paying attention to them. He was staring out the window, looking lost in thought. Skylar knew he was thinking about Victoire, and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.

* * *

Ms. Patti sat neatly across from Victoire, her legs crossed. "Victoire," she said, "I would like for you to tell me about Christopher."

Victoire flinched. "I can't...I don't want to..." she said, shaking her head.

"You've talked to me about everybody else...your parents, Teddy, Skylar, Grace...why is it so hard for you to talk about Chris?"

Victoire shook her head. "I don't want to talk about him...I don't want to remember Chris like that. I want to think about the happy times, the good times, when he wasn't in a coma."

Ms. Patti's eyes softened. "That's alright. We can start there. Tell me how you met Chris."

Victoire hesitated, thinking of Chris' easy laugh. Those few memories of him were all she had left, and she didn't want to share them.

"Victoire," Ms. Patti said encouragingly.

Victoire sighed, leaning back in her seat. "I met him when I was eight...and he was nine..."

_"Victoire," Teddy said impatiently as she dragged him over the hill. "We'll get in trouble if my grandma finds out we left the house."_

_Victoire glanced at Teddy. "Teddy, I swear, I saw him use magic!"_

_Teddy shook his head. "Impossible. We live in a muggle town."_

_"Maybe he's muggleborn...like Aunt Hermione!" Victoire suggested. _

_Teddy sighed. "So? What does it even matter?"_

_"We can be his friend!" she exclaimed eagerly. _

_Teddy frowned. "Okay, but why?" he said, struggling to understand Victoire's excitement. _

_"Because! When you go to Hogwarts next year, who will I play with?"_

_Teddy stared at her. "Vic...you have like a billion cousins..."_

_Victoire waved him off with her small hands. "Come on!"_

_Teddy, sighed, following his best friend over the hill. "Fine...but if we get in trouble, I'm blaming you."_

_Victoire smiled. She knew Teddy would never do that. He was always saving her, even when she didn't need saving. Whenever Victoire got into trouble, he always stepped in, an excuse at the ready. When Victoire was learning to fly on her broom and she nearly fell off, Teddy swooped in, breaking her fall. When Victoire was learning to swim, and she nearly drowned at the lake in Shell Cottage, Teddy jumped in, bringing her back to shore. He always saved her, even when she didn't want his saving. That's just how it was. _

_"Over there!" Victoire pointed, pulling Teddy into the bushes. The two of them hid, peering through the bushes at the skinny boy with sandy brown hair. _

_"Christopher, dinner will be ready in five minutes!" A woman with a young face said before heading back inside. _

_"Victoire, this is somebody's backyard!" Teddy hissed. "We could get in trouble."_

_Victoire glanced at him. "You worry too much."_

_"I don't want you to get hurt," he told her._

_Victoire sighed, and the two of them returned to watching Chris. "He looks our age," Victoire observed. _

_Chris was rather skinny with pale skin. He had sandy brown hair and light blue eyes that glittered in the sunlight. As Victoire and Teddy watched, Chris went to his sandbox, surveying the tools in front of him. After a moment, he sighed, shaking his hand. Victoire watched in amazement as Chris waved his hand over the tools, and suddenly, a large sandcastle was created. _

_"See!" Victoire exclaimed, elbowing Teddy. _

_Teddy frowned. "How'd he do that?"_

_"I don't know...let's ask!"_

_"Hold on," Teddy said, holding her back. _

_Chris was now standing up, grinning down at his masterpiece. "Chris," his mum said from inside, "please tell me you didn't get back into the sandbox! I told you, I wanted you clean for dinner!"_

_Chris glanced down at his clothes and skin, where tiny pieces of sand were stuck to him. Panicking, Chris shook himself off, and suddenly he was as good as new. The sand had magically found its way back to the box, the dirt on the cuff of his sleeve had disappeared, and the grass stain on his jeans was gone. _

_Victoire looked at Teddy, her eyes wide. "He must be magic like us!"_

_Teddy couldn't argue with her. "I don't think he knows yet, Vic. I don't know if we should be the ones to tell him he's a wizard."_

_"Why not?" Victoire demanded. _

_"I don't think muggles take the news very lightly."_

_"Who's there?" Chris demanded, looking around his backyard. _

_"Sorry!" Victoire said, jumping out of the bushes. Teddy sighed, following after her. _

_"Would it kill you to listen to me once?" he demanded. _

_Victoire ignored him. "I'm Victoire...and this is Teddy..."_

_Chris blinked, staring at them uncertainly. "I'm Chris...what are you doing in my backyard?"_

_"We saw you do that cool thing with the sand," Victoire told him, her eyes lighting up with excitement. _

_Teddy sighed. "Vic," he said warningly. _

_Chris, on the other hand, looked panicked. "You saw that?"_

_"Yeah, it was so cool! Can you teach me?" she asked, stepping forward. _

_"No...I don't really know how I do it...please don't tell anyone," Chris begged, his light blue eyes wide with fear. _

_Victoire frowned. "Doesn't your mum know?"_

_Chris shook his head. "Nobody knows."_

_Victoire gasped. "But she has to know! You're a wizard! Just like Teddy and me!"_

_"Vic!" Teddy exclaimed. _

_"I'm sorry," Chris said, thinking he'd misheard. _

_"A wizard...you're magic!"_

_"Chris?" Chris' mum was outside again, her hands on her hips. "I thought I told you only five minutes...oh, who are your friends?"_

_"I'm Teddy, and this is my friend Victoire," Teddy said, introducing himself. _

_Chris' mum smiled warmly at them. "Oh, it's very nice to meet you. But Chris has to come inside for dinner. You two could join us if you like...I'd just have to call your parents..."_

_Teddy grabbed Victoire's hand. "No...my grandma's got dinner ready for us too."_

_"Wait!" Chris exclaimed before they could leave. His eyes were wide with fear and confusion._

_"We'll come back tomorrow," Teddy promised him. _

_"Yeah!" Victoire beamed. _

_Chris didn't look like he believed them. "Okay," he said uncertainly, looking more confused than ever. _

_With a small wave, Victoire turned around. She and Teddy walked back, over the hill, hand-in-hand. _

"So, you were the ones that told him he was a wizard," Ms. Patti clarified.

Victoire smiled. "Yeah...Teddy was furious with me..."

"Was he?"

"Yeah...he doesn't like meddling into other people's business. The funny thing was, once we told Chris, Teddy was the one who really stepped up. He explained everything about magic and Hogwarts to him. But that's Teddy for you. He likes to help people, to save them."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"Not bad...just different."

"Tell me more about Chris."

Victoire sighed, thinking. "Well, he was brilliant. Really, he was. I don't think I've ever met a person with a kinder, more genuine heart. Just being around him made me a better person."

"How so?"

"Well, Chris...he liked to save the world. He was always working on some project or charity. Save the Unicorns. 'Elf Rights! Goblin Rights! Beware of the damage potion fumes are doing to the environment!' It was one thing after another. And the funny thing was, he was just as passionate about one thing as he was the other."

Ms. Patti smiled. "And that changed you?"

"Well, just being around him...you were aware of how well he treated others. Even when people called him a mudblood and played pranks on him, he never sunk to their level. He told them off, sure, but he was never violent or vengeful about it. He was just _so _kind."

"So you, Chris, and Teddy...you were all very close?"

Victoire nodded. "We were all best friends at first. Teddy and I...we sort of took him in...taught him about the magical world."

Ms. Patti frowned. "What do you mean you were best friends at first."

Victoire shrugged. "Well, once Teddy went to Hogwarts, it was just me and Chris...and well, things had changed...Teddy had his own friends, and it was just me and Chris..."

_Victoire stood on her tippy toes. "I don't see him," she complained. _

_Chris was looking around, amazed. "Vic...we just walked through a brick wall. A wall!" He laughed. _

_Victoire smiled. "In a few months, it'll be you and Teddy going off to Hogwarts together."_

_"I don't want to leave you, alone."_

_Victoire's lower lip trembled. "I don't want you to go either."_

_"Have you two seen Teddy yet?" Andromeda asked, looking around for her only grandson. _

_Chris sighed. "How do you find somebody who has a different face everyday?"_

_Victoire laughed. "He doesn't change it everyday. Usually, he wears his hair brown and his eyes hazel...like his dad, I think..."_

_"Is that him?" Chris asked, pointing to a twelve-year old boy with bright hazel eyes and dark brown hair._

_"Grandma!" Teddy exclaimed, hurrying over to his grandmother. When he had allowed her to hug him, he turned to Victoire and Chris. "You guys came!" he beamed. Victoire blushed as she felt Teddy throw his arms around her. "I have so much to tell you," he said as Andromeda took his trunk from him. "Hogwarts is amazing. Oh, and I can't wait to introduce you to Finn."_

_"Who's Finn?" Chris asked. _

_"Finn's my best friend," Teddy told them, peering over their heads to look for his mysterious new friend._

_Victoire's smile faltered. She'd never heard Teddy call anybody else but her his best friend. "There he is! Finn!" Teddy shouted, ushering another twelve-year old boy over. Finn was about the same height as Teddy. He was skinny with light brown hair. However, Victoire noticed his mischievous smile first. It was the kind of smile that made him look like he was always up to something. "Finn," Teddy said, "this is my grandma...and my friends Victoire and Chris..."_

_Finn grinned at them. "Hi-ya. I'm Finn."_

_"Finn, Chris is going to Hogwarts next year too," Teddy explained. _

_Finn glanced at Chris as if sizing him up. "Cool," he finally said. "You'll love it. As long as you're not a Slytherin. Then I won't talk to you."_

_"Uncle Harry says Slytherins aren't that bad," Victoire told them. _

_"Uncle Harry...like Harry Potter?" Finn asked in awe. _

_Victoire suddenly felt uncomfortable. "Erm...yeah..."_

_"Yeah, but Ron says that if a Slytherin ever annoys us, we should punch them in the face," Teddy said. _

_"Don't listen to Ron," Andromeda cut in. _

_Finn and Teddy laughed. "I can't wait to meet your family," Finn suddenly said eagerly. "They sound so cool!"_

_"Finn's staying with us for a few weeks," Teddy explained, seeing the confused look on Victoire's face. _

_"Yeah, and after that, Teddy's spending a few weeks at my house," Finn added. _

_Andromeda smiled, checking her watch. "We should really get going...I'll give you two a few minutes to say goodbye to all of your friends..."_

_Victoire watched sadly as the two boys pushed their way through the crowd, calling out another people's names. "He looks like he really enjoyed himself," Chris said, excited for his own trip to Hogwarts. _

_"Yeah," Victoire said quietly. _

"Did you ever resent Finn?" Ms. Patti asked. "For taking away your best friend."

Victoire blinked. "I never thought of it that way...yeah, I guess I did...don't get me wrong, I love Finn to death, now. But Teddy was my best friend first. After Teddy came home with Finn, everything changed. They had all these inside jokes, and Teddy told him everything. I felt left out. I reckon Teddy made an effort to spend time with me and Chris...but most of the time, it was him and Finn..."

"That must have been difficult for you."

Victoire shook her head. "It was...but I had Chris..."

"What was it like when Chris went to Hogwarts?"

"I was miserable. Both him and Teddy were gone...I missed them so much...that's why I was so excited when it was my turn to go to Hogwarts. I thought it would be the three of us, just like old times."

"But it wasn't?"

Victoire shook her head.

_"Gryffindor too, eh?" Teddy said proudly, ruffling her hair._

_Blushing, Victoire shook him off. "We should all celebrate!" she suggested. "Let's go find Chris! The three of us, just like old times!"_

_"Hey, Lupin, you coming!" Finn shouted from across the room. _

_Teddy glanced at his group of friends. They were all waiting for him at the other side of the common room. "Maybe tomorrow, Vic," he said, giving her one last pat on the back before disappearing. _

_Hurt, Victoire turned around, heading up to her dormitory. When she walked inside, there were already two girls in there. One girl was tall with long, dirty blonde hair, and she was wearing way too much make up for an eleven year old. The other girl was shorter with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail. _

_"Hi!" the blonde girl said, sticking out her hand. "I'm Skylar Grey."_

_"Victoire Weasley," Victoire said, shaking the the girl's hand. _

_"This is Grace Rhodes," Skylar said, pointing to the other girl. "We just met."_

_Victoire nodded. "Nice to meet you both."_

_"We were going to go down to the common room," Grace said shyly. "Get a feel for the place."_

_Skylar nodded. "You should come with us."_

_Relieved that her new roommates were so nice, Victoire agreed, following them back downstairs. The three girls made their way to the fireplace, where they observed their fellow Gryffindors. There were a group of fifth years playing wizard's chess beside them. Teddy and his friends were playing a competitive game of Exploding Snap across the room. Behind them, several seventh year girls were sitting on the couch, gossiping about the summer. _

_Victoire was relieved when she finally spotted Chris. He was sitting on the steps of the stairs, talking to a girl with short brown hair and glittering hazel eyes. When he noticed Victoire, he smiled, waving her forward. _

_"Come on," Victoire mumbled, pulling along Skylar and Grace. _

_"Hey, congratulations! Another Gryffindor in the Weasley family. What a surprise." Chris laughed at his own joke. _

_Victoire smiled. "Thank you."_

_"This is my friend, Danielle," Chris said, pointing to the girl sitting beside him. _

_"Dani," the girl corrected, shaking Victoire's hand. _

_"I'm Victoire," Victoire introduced herself. "And these are my roommates...Skylar and Grace..."_

_"Nice to meet you," Chris said. "Anyway, we were about to play Gobstones...want to join us?"_

_"I love Gobstones!" the very shy Grace exclaimed. _

_"Excellent," Chris said, jumping up. "Let's play."_

_Danielle smiled, following Chris. Victoire stopped, watching as Grace and Skylar made teams against Chris and Danielle. It wasn't exactly what she'd imagined. She'd always thought Teddy would be alongside them, but watching her new friends get competitive over a dorky game like Gobstones, made her laugh. Maybe this could work, she thought. _

"Chris never let me down," Victoire amended.

"But you think Teddy did?" Ms. Patti asked.

"I never said that."

Ms. Patti gazed at her. "Then what are you saying?"

"I'm saying...Teddy and I grew apart, but Chris and I never did. Chris was always there for me."

"And Teddy wasn't?"

Victoire frowned. "If I really needed Teddy, he would have been there," she finally said.

Ms. Patti nodded. "So, you're at Howarts now. Teddy has new friends...he's grown distant, but Chris hasn't. Meanwhile, you meet your new roommates and future best friends. Then what happens?"

Victoire took a moment to collect her thoughts. "Not much, really. Me, Skylar, and Grace...we became best friends. Teddy and I were still friends, but he had his own life. Chris began going out with Danielle, but he always made time for me. I never felt distant from Chris. It went on like that for a few years."

_"Don't forget our meeting with the heads tomorrow," Chris reminded Danielle. _

_"I won't," she promised, leaning down to give Chris a kiss. _

_"What meeting?" Victoire wondered once Danielle was gone. _

_"We want to start a new recycling program for Potions class...all those fumes...not to mention, the leftover toxic waste from those advanced potions classes...it's horrible!" he ranted. "That reminds me, did you ever sign that petition for the Elf Rights and Liberation League? Your aunt Hermione sent it over to me this morning."_

_Victoire nodded. "Yeah, I already signed it."_

_"Move it, mudblood." A bulgy Slytherin pushed Chris aside. _

_"Such ignorance," Chris said, sighing. "What a pity."_

_"Ignorance?" Victoire scoffed, taking out her wand. "I'm going to hex the living daylights out of that twat! How could he call you that? We're in the twenty-first century now!"_

_"Relax," Chris said, pushing her arm down. "We won't sink to his level, Vic. If he chooses to live his life in ignorance and make himself look like a complete and utter fool, then that's his problem. Me? I've got bigger things to worry about. I've got a killer exam tomorrow and I've hardly studied..."_

_Victoire stared at him. "How can you be so calm about this?"_

_Chris shrugged. "I honestly don't care what that bloke thinks of me. I only care what my family and friends think. You, my parents, and Danielle are the only people that really matter to me."_

_Victoire smiled. "You and Dani do make a cute couple."_

_"You know who else would make a cute couple?"_

_"Don't," Victoire warned. _

_"You and Teddy."_

_"Not this again. He's two years older than me!"_

_Chris glared at her. "Doesn't stop you two from flirting whenever you're near each other."_

_"He has girlfriend," she reminded him. _

_"He'll break up with her in a few weeks just like every other girl he's dated."_

_"And that's the bloke you want to set me up with?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows._

_"Vic, I've known you both for years, and I've always thought you two would end up together eventually."_

_"What?!"_

_"Do you remember the first time we met?"_

_Victoire frowned. "Vaguely."_

_"Well, I remember it clearly. You and Teddy were hiding in a bush, waiting to see if I was a wizard or not. The way Teddy protected you...and the way you two interacted. It was just so obvious."_

_"We were nine."_

_"And then you walked away holding hands...even my mum agrees..."_

_"Your mum also thought that the Weird Sisters' bass player would never get divorced."_

_Chris glared at her. "Why are you so determined not to like him?"_

_"Why are you so determined to pimp me out to Teddy?"_

_Chris rolled his eyes. "I know you think he doesn't care about you anymore, but that's just not true. Teddy loves you."_

_Victoire looked away. "I know...but we don't have the same relationship anymore. It's different now."_

Victoire stared at the small coffee table in front of her. "Chris was like the big brother I never had. He was always trying to make me happy. Even when it was complete rubbish like setting me up with Teddy."

Ms. Patti was studying her expression. "You never had romantic feelings for Teddy?"

"No...I mean, I'm sure I must have had a crush on him at some point or another, but it was just kid stuff."

"How do you feel about him now?"

Victoire looked down at her hands. "I could never hate Teddy...but sometimes...he just doesn't know when to leave it. Like I said, he's always trying to save people...always trying to save me..."

"And you don't want to be saved?"

"No. I need to figure things out by myself...and he won't let me...I just need some time to figure things out."

Ms. Patti frowned. "What exactly do you need to figure out?"

"Why Chris was gone so soon...why I never got the chance to say goodbye. Chris was _always _there...it's weird that he isn't. It just doesn't feel right without him."

* * *

Victoire didn't expect to find Skylar in her room after therapy. But there she was, standing in front of the window, staring out at the lake.

"Skye?" she asked quietly.

Skylar turned around, her long blonde hair flipping around. "Hey."

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could have a girl's night...your mum let me in..."

Victoire nodded, plopping onto her bed. "Okay."

There was an awkward pause. "So..." Skylar began. "How was therapy?"

"Miserable."

Skylar nodded, perching herself at the end of Victoire's bed. "You know, I always knew you were a bit cynical, but when did you become the Princess of Gloom?"

"Gee, I don't know, Skylar, maybe after my best friend went into a coma."

Skylar frowned. "Vic...come on...I'm trying to make an effort, here."

Victoire sat up, sighing. "I know...and I'm sorry..."

"Why's it so hard for you to let us in?"

"Because...I need to do this on my own...that's why I don't think I'm going to continue seeing Ms. Patti."

"She didn't help?"

"No, she did. She helped me realize that I do have some issues I need to work through. But she can't do anymore for me...I need to figure it out on my own. All my life, I've had my parents or Chris or Teddy...they were always there to save me, but this time, no one can help. I just need some time."

"Why? Why do you need to do this alone?"

"It's an independence thing."

Skylar bit her lip. "I get it..._but why didn't you answer one bloody letter I sent you_?" she asked softly, her eyes glittering with tears.

Victoire blinked. Out of all her friends, she thought Skylar had understood. "I couldn't talk to any of you...I just couldn't, okay? It wasn't that I didn't want to, but it just hurt too much. Being back here, back in England, _it hurts_. Everything reminds me of him. Seeing you lot...it just hurts too much..."

"Why is it such a bad thing for you to remember him?" Skylar demanded, gulping back tears.

"Because I'm not ready to do that! Okay, he's not supposed to be in this mess, Skye! I never got to say goodbye. I'm not ready to say goodbye either. It hurts too much being back here, seeing all of you, and he's not here...it's not right..."

"So, you're going to isolate me because it hurts _you_. Well, what about me? Do you realize the night of the accident, I lost more than just one friend. It was one thing to lose Chris...but you too?"

"I never realized..."

"Of course you didn't! You've only thought about yourself this entire year, and I didn't say one thing. I've tried to keep it together, but it's not fair, Vic. It's not fair what you did to us. We needed you, and couldn't be bothered."

"That's not true."

"No?"

"I didn't think you needed me that much."

"You were my best friend. How could I not need you?"

"I'm trying, Skylar. I really am...but I don't know how to go back...I don't know how to be your friend...things are different now..."

Skylar sat back against the bedpost, brushing away her tears. "Just let me in. Baby steps."

"Okay," Victoire said, straightening up. "I can do that. Just tell me what you want from me."

Skylar grinned. "Tell me about the cute boys in France."

Victoire snorted. "Seriously? That's what you want to know?"

"Baby steps, remember?"

Shrugging, Victoire leaned back against the bedpost. She was sitting beside Skylar, their shoulders touching. "Well," she finally said, "there was this one bloke...Pierre..."


	9. Where We Belong

_Hold on we're gonna make it if it takes all night_  
_Hearts racing like a rocket at the speed of light_  
_Don't fight it we've been running for far too long_  
_We're going back where we belong_  
_So hold on we got our wings and we're chasing the wind_  
_Farewell to all the places that we have been_  
_And if it takes us all night long_  
_We're going back where we belong_

**_-Thriving Ivory_**

* * *

Grace woke up to find herself curled up in Luke's arms. Smiling, she snuggled into him. When Luke realized she was awake, he shifted slightly so that he could see her face. "You're finally awake," he said with a small smile, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Nope...I'm going back to sleep," she said, yawning.

Luke let out a tiny chuckle, tightening his grip around her. Grace eased under his embrace. It was easy to let Luke in...he was always so gentle and understanding with her, which was completely unexpected, especially considering his reputation. She knew everybody in school thought Luke was some sort of womanizing jerk, and sometimes he was...but lately, she'd seen another side of him. He was funny, and understanding, and sweet.

She knew none of her friends would see him that way. Especially Finn and Teddy. She couldn't even imagine the look on their faces if they discovered her relationship with Luke...well, relationship wasn't really the right word to use. Luke was definitely not her boyfriend. Grace wasn't sure _what _Luke was to her. A friend with benefits? Were they even friends?

Truth be told, as much as Grace loved the thrill and excitement that came from her relationship with Luke, it was starting to wear down on her. She hated keeping secrets from Skylar. And in all honesty, Grace wasn't the type of girl that just had sex with a guy. She loved being in relationships. She loved knowing that she was committed to one person, and that person was committed to her and only her. She loved holding hands and snuggling and kissing at night in front of the fireplace.

"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked her quietly as she traced her fingers down his chest.

Grace sighed. "Nothing...it's just...haven't you ever wanted to be in a relationship, Luke? Like a real, committed, monogamous one?" she asked, glancing up at him.

She felt Luke's arms tense up around her. "Erm...do _you _want a real relationship?" he asked, sounding slightly panicked.

"Oh, no! That's not what I meant...I know it's not like that with us...Just-just forget I asked..." she trailed off, silently cursing herself. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Luke off. "I _don't _want to be your girlfriend," she clarified.

Luke's arms were still tense, though. "Oh," he said quietly.

There was a long pause, and Grace wondered why Luke was still nervous.

"Nobody's caught my eye," he finally said.

"What?"

"I've never wanted a relationship with anybody because, before you, I'd never met a girl that really caught my eye. A girl that I wanted around longer than a good shag."

Grace stopped what she was doing. She looked up at Luke, meeting his eyes. "Before me?" she asked breathlessly.

Luke was about to respond, when a sudden knock at the door made both of them jump. "Luke?" The voice of a cheerful man resonated through the door. "Come down to have breakfast with us. Eleanor leaves right after."

Luke sighed, sitting up. "I should go...spend time with Eleanor..." he mumbled, digging through his drawers for a t-shirt.

Grace nodded, slipping out of bed. "I should go too," she said, bending down to retrieve her clothes.

Somebody opened the door. "Oh, and Luke- " Luke's dad froze, staring at Grace.

Grace blushed furiously, thanking the gods that she had remembered to slip on Luke's t-shirt last night.

"Hello, there, Grace," Tony Bishop said, looking just as equally flustered as Grace. "I didn't realize...I didn't know you were here..."

"That's why you should knock," Luke told his dad, his face a bright shade of red.

"Right..." Tony said, looking uncomfortable. "Well, would you like to join us for breakfast, Grace?" he asked. "Luke's mum is quite the cook...and you could meet Eleanor, my neice..."

"Dad, I don't think- " Luke began to protest.

"I'd love to," Grace said politely before Luke could finish.

Luke stared at her. "You would?"

"Unless you don't want me to."

"Of course he does!" Tony said cheerfully. "I'll tell Elizabeth to set up another plate," he said, closing the door.

Once he was gone, Luke turned to face Grace. "You don't have to do this, you know."

She shrugged. "I'm Grace Rhodes, remember? Parents are my specialty. They love me. It's the price you have to pay for being such a goody-goody and never doing anything bad."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Goody-goody? Grace, I'm not sure you can really call yourself that anymore."

"And who's fault is that?" she demanded, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Mine," he replied proudly. "I have no shame."

"Clearly," she said, rolling her eyes. After Grace had pulled on her sundress from the night before and pulled her hair back from its tangled mess, she turned to face Lucas. He had slipped on a ti-shirt and shorts and was watching her get dressed.

"How do I look?" she asked.

"I prefer you with no clothes."

"You're disgusting."

"Maybe so, but we have to go before my dad comes back looking for us," he said, holding the door open for her.

She felt her face burn again. "I can't believe he saw me."

Luke shrugged. "It's fine. It's not like you're the first girl he's seen."

Grace raised her eyebrows. "No?"

Luke froze. "Not that there's a lot...or any...I mean..."

"Luke?" she said calmly.

"Yeah."

"You should probably stop talking."

"Right," he said, his face turning a light twinge of pink. He led her through the enormous mansion, down the spiral staircase, past several lounges, past the kitchen, until they finally arrived in the dining room. His parents and cousin were already sitting at the table, chattering easily.

"Morning," Luke said, gathering his family's attention. "Mum, Dad...you know Grace..."

Grace stared at Luke's parents. She'd met them several times before, and each time she saw them, she was amazed that such a well-put-together couple had raised Lucas, who was, in one word, a total and complete rebel. Despite his expensive and designer looking clothes, Luke was completely wild. Nothing at all like his parents.

Tony Bishop was a chubby business man with a friendly face and cheerful demeanor. He always seemed to be laughing or cracking jokes. And despite his millionaire status, Grace had never seen him wear anything besides t-shirts and jeans. Elizabeth Bishop, on the other hand, looked like the epitome of class and elegance. She had her dark hair pulled into an elegant bun that made Grace very aware of the sloppy ponytail she had just put hers in.

Across the table from them sat Eleanor. She had black hair with blunt bangs that not many people could pull off. She had outlined her startling blue eyes with dark make up and her lips were a deep red. She clearly did not fit in with the Bishop's perfect image, but strangely, she looked completely at ease there.

"Good morning, Grace," Elizabeth said as Grace took her seat beside Luke. "We were waiting for you to come down to start breakfast."

"Oh, thank you," Grace said, waving to the others.

When she sat down, Eleanor glanced up at Grace. "She's cute," she said, turning to Luke. "I approve."

Luke rolled his eyes. "There's nothing to approve of. We're just friends."

Eleanor snorted. "That's not what your dad told me this morning."

Grace chocked on the orange juice she was sipping. "Yeah...about that...it's not what you think..."

Luke squeezed Grace's hand under the table. The gesture took Grace by surprise, but it relaxed her, nonetheless. "Ignore, Eleanor," he said loudly. "She's just a daft dimbo." Eleanor rolled her eyes.

"We're just friends," Grace clarified.

Luke nodded. "It wasn't what you think you saw, Dad."

Eleanor grinned. "Uncle Tony, what was that you said you saw exactly?" she asked innocently.

Tony was about to respond when Elizabeth held up her hand. "Enough. This discussion is much to vulgar for the table." She turned to Grace and Luke. "Whatever you two are, I'm just glad you've made a new friend, Lucas."

"Mum hates Grayson," Luke explained.

Grace nodded. "Understandable. I hate Grayson too."

"He's not _that _bad," Luke said defensively.

"Yes, he is," Eleanor said darkly. "I have no idea why that tosser is your best friend."

Grace glanced at Luke. "Told you."

"You just have to get to know him!"

Tony laughed. "You should listen to Grace, son. Maybe she'll knock some sense into you."

Luke stroked Grace's leg. "He's not wrong, you know," he whispered so only she could hear. "You have been an annoyingly good influence on me."

"How so?" she wondered.

"I actually finished all my school work because of you."

Grace smiled. Never in a million years did she think she'd be sitting there, having breakfast with Luke and his family. Yet, Grace was strangely comfortable there, like she'd been there all her life.

* * *

Skylar pulled Victoire along stubbornly. "I don't understand why you're being so difficult about this!" she exclaimed.

"You can't be serious. Have you not seen the way Grace looks at me? Even the Bloody Baron is friendlier than her."

Skylar rolled her eyes. "She's not _that _bad. Besides, it's not like you don't deserve it."

"Great, that makes me feel loads better."

"I'm just saying- " Skylar paused, her eyes narrowing at something across the street.

Victoire frowned. "What is it?" she asked, following Skylar's gaze.

"Henry..." she mumbled.

Henry was Grace's younger brother. From what Victoire remembered, Henry was a cheeky little boy, always full of jokes and stories. She'd never seen him without a smile on his face...until now.

"He looks upset," Victoire said as Skylar led her across the street. As they got closer to Grace's house, it was clear what was upsetting Henry. Loud shouting was coming from inside, and Victoire could only assume his parents were arguing.

"Hey, Henry," Skylar said gently, sitting beside the young boy.

Henry glanced up at the girls. "Victoire?" he said in surprise. "Grace said you moved to France."

"I moved back."

He gave her a small smile. "Oh, I'm glad."

"Why is that?"

"Grace was really upset when you left...she cried for ages."

Victoire gulped. "I didn't know that."

Henry shrugged. "Well, that was when mum and dad's fighting got really bad...I reckon she just needed a friend..."

Skylar put her arm around Henry. "They'll work it out," she said gently.

He looked at his hands sorrowfully. "That's what Grace said. And that was over a year ago."

Skylar and Victoire exchanged looks. They didn't know how to respond to that.

"Skylar? Victoire?"

Both girls turned around to find Grace standing at the gate. She looked surprised to see them.

"Hey, Gracie!" Skylar exclaimed enthusiastically. Grace strode forward, watching them warily.

Henry frowned at his sister. "Where were you? Why didn't you come home last night?"

Grace's eyes widened in panic. Victoire watched her suspiciously as she attempted to act cool. "I was at a friend's," she told him.

"What friend?" Skylar asked curiously.

"You don't know him...erm...I mean her. Her. It was a girl. I slept over my friend's, who's a girl, house."

Skylar raised her eyebrows. "Relax, Gracie. It was just a question."

Victoire noticed Grace's appearance. Her sundress was wrinkled and creased, which was very much unlike Grace. Her green eyes were wide with fear and there was a slight flush around her cheeks. Frowning, Victoire wondered what she was keeping from them.

_She'll probably tell Skylar, later, _Victoire reminded herself. _It's not like we're friends anymore._

"I'm not," Grace said, wincing as something crashed inside the house. "Stupid prats," she muttered, shaking her head.

A few moments later, her father stormed out of the house. He froze, noticing all of them standing around the porch. "Morning," he said, attempting to sound cheerful.

"Where are you going, Dad?" Henry asked, standing up.

"I have to pop in at the office for a bit," he said, pulling on his jacket.

"But today's your day off," Grace pointed out.

"Yeah, and you promised we'd go flying today," Henry protested.

"Dad," Grace said warningly as he glanced back inside, already babbling an excuse about work to his son. "You promised him."

"And we'll go tomorrow, I promise, Henry," he assured his son before hurrying down the street.

Grace turned back to Henry, her expression softening when she saw the disappointed look on the young boy's face. "Cheer up, Henry," she said. "Come on, why don't I take you out? We can go to Hogsmeade...take a look at the new brooms, maybe. Get some ice cream, look at the owls and cats in the Emporium..."

"Okay," Henry said, though he didn't sound too excited.

"Let me just go shower quickly," she said.

Skylar grabbed Victoire's arm as they followed Grace inside. "Grace," Skylar called, "we actually wondered if we could speak with you for a bit."

"About what?" Grace said frostily, heading toward the kitchen. "Henry?" she called. "Have you eaten breakfast yet? I could prepare you something...or you could just get something to eat in Hogsmeade..." Grace trailed off, freezing in the kitchen doorway.

Victoire peered around her, wondering what had caused Grace to react like that. Her question was answered when she saw Aimee Rhodes. There in the middle of the kitchen was Grace's mum. Her appearance made Victoire completely uncomfortable. She'd always seen Aimee Rhodes put together, with her hair brushed perfectly so that there wasn't a single flyaway in sight and her clothing clean and professional. Never had she seen Mrs. Rhodes look like this. She had on a dirty, oversized sweatshirt over a pair of ratty looking sweatpants. Her normally perfect hair was a tangled mess.

But what terrified Victoire was the fact that Aimee Rhodes, the woman who used to bake cakes and cookies for all her neighbors and used to spend hours perfecting her flower garden, was now chugging down hardcore liquor.

"Mum," Grace said harshly. Hearing Grace's voice, Aimee put down her drink. "It's a tad early to be drinking, don't you think?" Grace asked, her voice quivering.

"I've had a rough morning," she replied, her voice unusually croaky.

"I don't care. Just put that away before Henry sees."

"Before I see what?" Henry asked, making his way around Victoire.

Aimee managed to hide the bottle just in time. She smiled at her youngest son. "Nothing, sweetheart. Mummy's just a bit of a mess right now. I haven't had the chance to shower."

Henry stared at his mum. _He knows_, Victoire thought.

"Anyway, Henry," Grace said suddenly, "why don't you go show Skylar your Chocolate Frog Cards collection."

"Yeah!" Skylar said enthusiastically. "I'd love to see it!"

Grace gave her a thankful smile before turning back to face her mum. Once Skylar and Henry had disappeared, Aimee let out a sigh. "Gracie...I didn't mean for him- "

"I'm taking Henry out for a bit," Grace said, cutting her off.

"Okay," her mum said, nodding. "I'll...erm...I'll go shower..."

"Don't bother," Grace spat before stomping up to her room.

Victoire was left alone, standing there awkwardly, looking at Aimee. She suddenly wished she'd gone with Skylar up to Henry's room. "Tell Grace and Skylar I had to go, okay," Victoire heard herself say.

Aimee blinked. "Sure, okay."

Victoire nodded before hurrying out the door. She had never realized how much Grace meant it when she said she needed Victoire there. Victoire suddenly felt ashamed; she really was a horrible friend.

* * *

Thankfully, Grace's mum had locked herself in her room by the time Grace and Henry were ready to leave. Grace managed to put on a cheery face for her brother, who had lightened up considerably thanks to Skylar.

"Where's Vic?" Grace asked as they gathered in the living room.

Skylar shrugged. "She thought it was best to leave."

"There's a surprise," Grace muttered.

"Grace, she's really trying to make an effort. You should do the same."

Henry frowned. "Are you and Victoire in a fight?" he asked.

Grace glanced at him. "We're no longer friends."

"That's too bad," Henry said, sighing. "I like her."

Skylar snorted. "You only say that because you have a massive crush on her."

Henry ignored Skylar and grabbed the floo powder Grace offered him. "Diagon Alley," he said loudly after shooting Skylar a look.

Skylar stepped into the fireplace after him. "Just give Victoire a chance, okay?" she said before disappearing into the blue flames.

Grace sighed. Victoire knew something. Grace could see it in her face when she arrived home that morning. Vic could always tell when Grace was lying. But just exactly how much she had pieced together, Grace had no idea.

"Diagon Alley," she said miserably before being engulfed in blue flames.

* * *

"This is where your dad works?" Skylar gasped, looking impressively around the building. "No wonder your house is so big."

"Skylar, your dad sells mansions for a living," Grace reminded her. "You're pretty well-off yourself."

Henry clucked his tongue impatiently. "Can we go inside now, or are we just going to keep standing here, staring at the office."

Skylar frowned. "I liked it better when you didn't talk."

"Come on!" he urged. "Dad's food's gonna get cold."

"Alright, come on," Grace said as they stepped into the elevator. On the seventh floor, Henry hopped out and Grace and Skylar followed him.

"Nice view!" Skylar cried, hurrying over to the glass wall.

"Grace! Henry!" a perky blonde in her early to mid-twenties exclaimed upon seeing them. It wasn't necessarily that Grace didn't like Heidi; she just thought Heidi was frivolous and vapid. Her dad, on the other hand, always scolded Grace for saying that. He always claimed Heidi was very good at her job, and she was very hard-working, and that was what really mattered.

"Hi, Heidi," Grace said dully. "Is my dad here?"

"Oh, yes, but he's in a meeting," she told them.

"Well, I brought him lunch," Henry said stubbornly. "And the man needs to eat."

Heidi smiled, taking the brown bag from Henry. "I'll be sure to give it to him just as soon as his meeting ends."

"But it'll get cold!" Henry protested. "He needs it now. Trust me, he'll like it. It's from his favorite restaurant."

Skylar wandered over, still admiring the view. "You guys ready to go?"

Henry frowned. "No, I want to see Dad."

"Henry, he's in a meeting," Grace reminded him.

"Heidi, did you by any chance get a message from Joseph Turner? He was supposed to send in the supplies a week ago but- " Jim Rhodes paused upon seeing his children gathered in his office. "Hey, guys!" he said cheerfully. "What are you doing here?"

"They brought you lunch," Heidi said, pointing to the brown bag on the desk.

"Excellent!" Jim exclaimed, hugging his two kids and Skylar.

"Looking good, Mr. Rhodes," Skylar said.

"Yes, well, I'm feeling miserable. I'm in a last minute meeting with some business partners, and it's not going too well, I'm afraid."

"We'll get out of your way," Grace assured him. "Henry just wanted to see you."

Jim beamed. "I'm glad you came."

"Mr. Rhodes," Heidi said, reminding him of his meeting.

"Oh, yes! I'm afraid I have to be getting back," he told his kids somberly.

"What about your food?" Henry asked.

"I'll bring it into him as soon as the meeting ends," Heidi promised.

Henry relaxed. "Okay."

"And I'll contact Mr. Turner right away," she told Jim before he hurried back into his office.

"We should get going," Grace said as her dad shut the door behind him.

"Could we go see Aunt Piper?" he asked as Grace ushered him into the elevator.

"Who's Aunt Piper?" Skylar wondered as they waved goodbye to Heidi.

"My aunt...my mum's sister...she makes the best treacle tarts in the world."

"Well, then I'm in," Skylar said. "Let's go see Aunt Piper."

* * *

Grace slowly made her way back to Shell Cottage. The house was most likely empty. Her parents were at work, Dominique had gone to spend a few weeks with Aunt Gabrielle in France, and Grandma Weasley was babysitting Louis. So, Victoire was extremely surprised when she saw the light on in the backyard. Frowning, she peered out the window, wondering who was outside.

Sitting on the dock, his feet dangling over the water, was Teddy.

"What are you doing here?" Victoire asked a few minutes later.

Teddy scooched over, motioning for her to sit down beside him. "I came to see how you were doing," he replied.

Victoire dipped her toes in the water. "Oh."

"Your parents told me you stopped going to therapy," he said.

Victoire shrugged. "I reckon I got all I could from therapy. It's up to me now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked, sounding hurt.

"I didn't realize you were entitled to know every detail of my life."

He glared at her. "You shouldn't have stopped going."

"Teddy, no offense, but it's none of your business whether I go or not."

"I'm just trying to help you!"

"Well, stop!" Victoire snapped. "Stop treating me like some sort of project that you need to fix."

"Is that why you've been avoiding me?" he asked, staring at her.

Victoire bit her lip. "I haven't been avoiding you."

"Yes, you have."

She sighed. "I just...I need to have some fun, Teddy. That's what I loved at Beauxbaton. _I had fun there_."

Teddy crossed his arms. "Are you saying we don't have fun together."

"That's exactly what I'm saying. I don't need another therapist, Teddy. I need a friend. I need to be able to get my mind off everything every once in a while. Godric, it's like we never have fun anymore...you're always so serious..."

Teddy didn't say anything, but she didn't look over at him. She kept staring ahead at the clear lake in front of her.

"Is that really how you feel?" he finally asked.

"Yeah," Victoire said, her eyes still glued to the lake, "it is."

Suddenly, she felt a pressure to her side, and she was failing through the air, screaming. Something cold splashed in her face, instantly shutting her up. Victoire found herself underwater, having to swim back up, where she could barely make out Teddy's figure, standing on the dock. When she popped her head out of the water, Teddy smirked.

"You shouldn't have called me boring," he told her.

"You wanker!" Victoire tried to sound angry, but she couldn't help but laugh.

Teddy dove in beside her. When he came up to the surface, he grinned at her. "Do you remember the last time we went swimming in the lake?" he asked.

Victoire felt herself smile. "It was after your birthday party last year," she recalled. "And you nearly drowned me."

"Don't be blame me for nearly dying. I saved your life."

"After you nearly took it away!" she retorted, splashing him.

Teddy flinched away from the water. "Your dad was _so _mad..."

"Yeah, it was the first time I ever got drunk," she said, shuddering as she remembered the look on Bill's face when he discovered her and Teddy taking a dip in the lake at four in the morning.

"Again," Teddy reminded her. "Not my fault."

Victoire grimaced. "Not one my best ideas."

"Vic, is that you?" Fleur called. Victoire looked up to find her mother standing on the deck. She had changed out of her work clothes and was now wearing a flowy dress with an amazing pair of heels. She had let her hair down from its tight bun so that it was flowing down her back. She looked like a teenager again.

"Yeah, who else would it be?" Victoire replied.

"Well, your father and I are going out to dinner with your uncle Charlie. We won't be back for a few hours. Are you okay here?" she asked.

"We're fine," Victoire reassured her.

Fleur squinted down at her daughter. "You could've put on a bathing suit, you know," she said.

"Sorry, my fault, Fleur," Teddy apologized.

Once Fleur was gone, Victoire shook her head. "Leave it to my mother to get upset with me for having _too _much clothes on."

Teddy laughed. Victoire looked back at him, and her heart quickened. She hadn't realized how close they were. His face was only inches away from hers, and it seemed as if the water kept trying to push them together. Every time Victoire tried to swim back a bit, the current would drag her back into him.

"It's good that you're home, Vic," he said quietly. "This is where you belong."

Victoire shivered. "Yeah, I know," she replied softly.

Teddy reached out, holding her hand. "We're going to make it, Vic. Trust me."


	10. Fix You

_When you try your best, but you don't succeed_  
_When you get what you want, but not what you need_  
_When you feel so tired, but you can't sleep_  
_Stuck in reverse_

_And the tears come streaming down your face_  
_When you lose something you can't replace_  
_When you love someone, but it goes to waste_  
_Could it be worse?_

_Lights will guide you home_  
_And ignite your bones_  
_And I will try to fix you_

**_-Coldplay_**

* * *

Teddy had always been protective of Victoire. She was reckless and impulsive, always getting herself into trouble. And he was always there to save her, to keep her from getting hurt. It'd been their silent agreement: Victoire got herself into trouble, and Teddy got her out of it. Despite her quiet demeanor and shy smile, Victoire seemed to always attract trouble. When she'd nearly drowned at Shell Cottage or when she almost got her magic discovered by a muggle in town, Teddy had intervened. That's just how it worked. _  
_

So, it was hard for him to let go of her, to let her make and fix her fix her own mistakes. He wanted to be there, to hold her hand, to walk her through all the pain and misery she'd been hiding from for the past year. But she wouldn't let him. She pushed him away, forcing him to watch her self-destruct from a distance.

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Teddy," Skylar told him one particular day after he'd admitted he was struggling to keep his distance from Vic. "You need to trust her. She seems to be doing fine."

"She cries every time she sees Chris," he said flatly. "That does not sound fine to me."

"Better she deals with her emotions than run away from her problems again," Skylar countered.

"I just wish she would talk to me," Teddy groaned, frustrated.

Skylar bit her lip, struggling to keep her mouth shut. Teddy knew he was acting pathetic, but Vic was his oldest friend. She was family. He needed to know that she was going to be okay, that she wouldn't freak out again and leave the country.

So, as he traipsed down the hallways of St. Mungo's, Teddy knew there was only one person that would know what to do. Too bad that person had been unconscious for the past year.

"It's after hours, young man!" A plump Healer told him, blocking the doorway.

"Please, ma'am, just give me a few minutes," he begged. "I haven't seen my friend in a long time."

The Healer narrowed her eyes at him as if deciding whether or not to let him in. "You better be gone by the time I get back," she warned him before trudging past him.

Relieved, Teddy hurried into the bright yellow room.

Chris looked like he was peacefully sleeping. His arms were lying limply to his side, his fingers sprawled carelessly on top of the blankets. His slightly overgrown hair was beginning to cover his eyes. Teddy smiled, imagining how annoyed Chris would be when he woke up to find how long his hair had grown.

"You could've at least cut it!" he would scoff, pushing his hair back. "It's always in my eyes now!"

Teddy gently pushed Chris' light brown hair back. "There you go, buddy. I'll talk to the Healers tomorrow...see if they can get you a haircut..."

He waited hopefully for a response. But as usual, Chris simply laid there.

"I imagine Vic was here today...she usually visits...I know you probably missed her while she was away. I know I did...I'm glad she's back, but she's different now, don't you reckon? I mean, she's so guarded...I don't know how I'm going to get through to her." Teddy continued on, hoping a part of Chris could hear him. "That's why I need you to wake up, mate. I've lost my connection with her...I need you to help me understand what's going on with her. I feel like she's _angry _with me, but she won't tell what I'm doing wrong. She acts as if nothing happened."

"Well, that's nothing new," a soft voice said from the doorway.

"Danielle," Teddy said in surprise, spotting the tiny girl. "How'd you get in here? Visiting hours are over."

"Mrs. Hart always let's me come in after hours...I reckon she feels sorry for me..." Danielle explained, coming closer.

Danielle had chestnut brown hair that came down to her shoulders, and her light hazel eyes were always piercing into yours as if she were reading your mind. She had always been extremely thin and petite, barely reaching over five feet. However, the past year had unnervingly aged her. The constantly present dark circles under her eyes and wilting smile looked unusual on her. Especially considering how a year ago, she was a happy, smiling, bouncy girl who always had a sarcastic remark or easy laugh at the ready.

"What happened between you and Victoire now?" Danielle asked, slowly making her way to the chair beside Teddy.

"Nothing," Teddy told her, "and that's what's so frustrating. She won't let me help her. That's why I'm here. Chris was always good at getting her to open up."

Danielle looked down at Chris, a sad smile spreading across her face. "The two of them were so close."

"Yeah, that's why I need him."

Danielle's eyes flickered back to Teddy. "For what?"

"Because he knew Vic better than anyone else."

"Except for you," she corrected.

"Maybe when we were kids," Teddy said, shaking his head. "But as we got older, it was Chris that knew her best."

Danielle frowned. "No, it wasn't. Teddy, you could tell how Vic was feeling just by one glance at her. Chris could never do that. You're just trying too hard. Give her her space, and she'll come to you."

"How can you be so sure?"

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Because that girl loves you more than any of her other friends. She's also the girl that has the hardest time showing it."

"You're telling me."

Danielle reached over, clasping her tiny hands into his. "I miss him too, Teddy."

Teddy squeezed her hand. "He'll wake up soon."

Danielle's eyes filled with tears as her eyes widened with fear. "And what if he doesn't?" she asked, her voice breaking.

"He will," Teddy said confidently. He had to believe that Chris would wake up, that everything would be okay. It was the only way to get Victoire back, the only way to repair the hole that had been in his heart ever since he went into this coma, the only way to return the happy smile to Danielle's face, the only way to heal Mrs. Watson's broken heart.

Danielle stared at him. "How can you be so sure?" she asked, her voice shaking. "How can you be so sure he won't die."

"Chris hasn't ever let me down," Teddy told her, looking away from her tear-streaked face to the peaceful face of Chris'. "And he's not about to."

Danielle gave him a watery smile. "That's a good point."

Teddy nodded. "You can't fix him, Dani. That's his job. The Healer's are doing all they can, and now it's up to Chris. We just have to have some faith in him, faith that he'll survive this."

Danielle gazed at him, a small smile on her lips. "The same goes for Vic, you know. You've done all you can for her, Teddy. You can't always fix her. She has to do it on her own every once in a while."

He looked at the girl sitting beside him for a moment. She was a year younger than him, but for some reason, he always found himself going to her for comfort. "When'd you get so wise?" he wanted to know.

"Get?" she scoffed.

He laughed, pulling Danielle into a tight hug. He felt her wrap her tiny arms around him, and it was exactly what he needed.

* * *

**Hello, everybody! I wanted to thank all of you who have been reading and/or leaving those amazing reviews! They mean so much to me, especially as a writer. **

**Anyway, I also wanted to apologize for the long wait. Usually, I try to update once a week, but I've been extra busy ever since school started. Taking four AP's was _not _the way to go. Hopefully, things will die down soon, and I'll be able to update once a week! I know this was a short chapter, but I think that's the way it'll have to be for a little while. That is, at least if you want the updates to happen faster. **

**Again, thank you SO much for reading :)**

**I hope you're enjoying!**

**-Summer4Girl**


	11. All The Same To Me

_I won't run when the sky turns to flame,_  
_And I sure won't budge_  
_When the earth does shake._  
_When the flood comes up,_  
_I will dance in the rain_  
_'Cause it's all the same to me._

_Somebody care, somebody care,_  
_Somebody care for me._  
_Somebody care, somebody care,_  
_Somebody care for me._

**_-Anya Marina_**

* * *

Skylar stared at her reflection in the mirror, nervously running her fingers through her hair.

Teddy wouldn't stand her up. Not for something like this. Not when he _promised _her he'd be there.

"Skye, honey, we need to go before we lose our reservations," her dad said, checking his watch anxiously.

Skylar bit her lip. "I'm sure there's a good reason he's late," she said more to herself than to him.

"Mmhmm," he said grumpily.

"And besides," she added, "Melissa is _always _late."

"Doesn't mean we have to be," her dad said, offering her his arm. "Come on. Just call Teddy and tell him to meet us at the restaurant."

"Dad," Skylar reminded him for what felt like the billionth time, "wizards don't have phones."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine. Use whatever means of communication you magical folks are used to. Just make sure he gets the message."

Skylar nodded, glancing back at the clock hanging on the kitchen wall. Teddy was nearly half an hour late, and she was beginning to get a little worried. Teddy was _never _late. Not once had he ever made her wait for him. He usually showed up right on time and had to wait patiently wait for her to finish getting ready. And he never complained. Not once.

That's why Skylar's dad was being so understanding right now. With any other bloke, her dad would have been furious. He'd always been most protective of Skylar. She was his little girl, his baby. Every guy that Skylar had ever introduced him to had never pleased him. In fact, most of the time, he scared them off. That's why she always avoided the whole awkward boyfriend-meets-the-parents. But Teddy was different. He was the first bloke she'd ever actually wanted her father to meet.

And naturally, like every other person on the planet, Skylar's dad fell in love with Teddy the instant they met. From the moment he walked through the doors, Teddy had charmed the pants off her family. Even now, despite him being thirty minutes late, Skylar's dad still wasn't really that upset.

"I'm sure he has a good reason for being late," he told her as they got into the car.

"He better," Skylar muttered.

Her dad shot her a sympathetic look as he slowly backed out of the driveway. Their neighbor, Megan, a middle-aged woman with a kind smile and sparkling eyes, waved at them as they drove off. Skylar absentmindedly waved back, still wondering where on earth Teddy could be. Immediately, her mind went to the worst case scenario. He was dead. In Azkaban. Lying in a coma beside Chris. Slowly, though, as they drove on in silence and she had more time to think, Skylar knew that there was probably a much less scary and much more plausible reason as to why Teddy wasn't here. He probably lost track of time. Or maybe he went to check up on Victoire before he came over.

For some strange reason, the thought of Victoire and Teddy together made Skylar a little angry. She quickly shook off the feeling, though, reminding herself that Teddy and Victoire were simply friends.

"So," her dad said, breaking the silence, "are you excited to see your sister?"

"Yeah, I reckon so. As long as she doesn't bring Rick."

"Skylar," he said sternly, "I don't want any trouble tonight. Melissa loves Rick, and we need to be supportive of her."

"You were never supportive of me when I dated Jayden," Skylar protested heatedly.

"You were too young to be dating," he told her stubbornly.

"Speaking of dating," Skylar said innocently, "don't you think Megan looked nice tonight?"

"Megan always looks lovely," her father told her.

"She seems so lonely lately," Skylar continued. "I think she needs somebody in her life."

"Skylar." Her dad sighed, turning to look at her. "It's too soon."

"Dad, Mum died years ago. I was barely nine years old when she passed away. Don't you think it's time to move on?"

"Skylar, I am not discussing this with you. It's not a conversation a father has with his daughter."

Skylar was about to protest when the door opened, and the valet offered her his hand. "Dad, I don't like the thought of you all alone in that big house," she said as she got out of the car and joined her father into the restaurant.

"I'm not alone! And Megan and I are just friends."

Skylar remained unconvinced. "All I'm saying is Teddy and I used to be friends too."

Rolling his eyes, her father turned to the podium in front of them. "Reservation for Jonathan Grey."

The woman behind the podium glanced down at the list of names in front of her. "Right this way, sir," she said, leading them through the elegant archway.

A few minutes later, Skylar found herself listening as Melissa droned on about her amazing job at the ministry. "Absolutely brilliant!" she exclaimed, flipping back her blonde hair. "And I'm working directly under Hermione Weasley...you've heard of her, right? She's married to that auror...good friend of Harry Potter's too...well, anyway, she's absolutely brilliant. Just the other day, we made huge strides in..." Melissa continued on, listing off all the amazing things she was doing in her new job.

Melissa and Skylar looked a lot alike. They had the same dark blonde hair and big brown eyes. They were both tall and skinny with light freckles spread across their noses. Melissa, however, had the scholarly look down to a tee. Unlike Skylar's long wavy mane, Melissa kept her hair down to her shoulders and pin straight. She chose minimal make up, while Skylar often experimented with bright colors and different styles. While Skylar wore a short dress with a plunging neckline, Melissa opted for a modest black dress that neither showed off her long legs nor revealed her thin figure.

The two girls were complete opposites. Under normal circumstances, the two sisters would probably never get along. But that wasn't the case at all with Skylar and Melissa. When their mother died, Melissa immediately stepped up. She woke Skylar up every morning for school and always had her breakfast ready when Skylar came down. She was the one that taught Skylar how to apply make up and gave her advice when the first day of Hogwarts came around. Sometimes Melissa was more of a mother to Skylar than a sister, but that was okay, because sometimes, Skylar really needed a mother.

Melissa cleared her throat, turning to look at Skylar. "So," she said, smiling smoothly, "where's Teddy? I've told Rick all about him, and he's just dying to meet him." Melissa turned to her boyfriend. "Aren't you, sweetie?"

Rick nodded, letting out a laugh. "I reckon I need somebody else to help me deal with the Grey family."

Skylar watched as Melissa and her dad laughed, but she couldn't even bring herself to force a smile. Everything about Rick made her uncomfortable. She wondered when her sister would be done with that loser. "I don't know," Skylar finally replied. "Teddy should have been here a while ago."

Melissa nodded. "I'm sure he'll be here soon. Oh, I just loved Teddy! He's such a nice bloke...very ambitious too. Says he wants to be an auror, like his godfather. Can you believe it?"

"Skylar told me he's headboy too," their dad added. "Like you, Melissa!"

Melissa beamed. "Oh, he's such a great influence on you, Skye! With his help, I'm sure you'll be headgirl too!"

Skylar snorted. "I reckon that's more of a job for Gracie."

Melissa was about to launch into a speech about having goals and ambitions, when she reached over to take a sip of her water. As she wrapped her long fingers around the glass, Skylar immediately sat up. She grabbed her sister's hand. "Mel, what's that on your finger."

Blushing, Melissa snatched her hand away. "You weren't supposed to see that yet..."

"See what?" her dad asked.

Melissa and Rick exchanged looks. "Well," Melissa said slowly, "Rick proposed."

Skylar chocked on her water. "What?" she gasped.

Melissa was grinning now, holding up her hand to show off the large diamond on her finger. "We're getting married!"

* * *

Ten minutes later, Skylar was sure Melissa had to be playing a joke on her. Melissa, her _sister _Melissa, who was barely twenty years old, who was the most meticulous and careful person Skylar knew, would never decide to get _married _at such a young age. Melissa had plans and charts and lists. She planned ahead, she considered all options before making a final decision.

It was a joke. It had to be.

"Skylar, aren't you going to congratulate me at all?" Melissa demanded impatiently.

Skylar gulped down the wine in front of her. "Congratulations," she said dumbly.

But that was enough for her sister. Melissa beamed, hugging Skylar tightly. "Can you believe it?"

"Not at all," Skylar said honestly.

"What can't you believe?" A familiar voice said from behind her.

Skylar turned to find Teddy standing there, his hands in his pockets, an apologetic look on his face.

"You're late," she told him flatly.

"Rick and I are engaged!" Melissa exclaimed, ignoring the stony look her sister was giving her boyfriend.

Teddy looked surprised. "Really?"

"Really!" Melissa showed him the ring on her finger.

"Congratulations!" Teddy laughed, giving her a hug. "And this, I assume, is the lucky bloke? I'm Teddy," he added, shaking Rick's hand energetically.

Rick nodded. "Rick Sullivan."

"Teddy, I'm so glad you could make it," Skylar's dad said, giving him a clap on the back.

Teddy grimaced. "Right. Listen, I'm so sorry I'm so late. I got caught up with a few things...lost track of the time...came here as soon as I could."

"Where were you?" Skylar hissed as he sat down.

"St. Mungo's with Chris," he replied quietly so nobody could hear.

"Is everything alright?" she asked, panicking.

He nodded. "It's fine. Dani was there and we just got to talking. I didn't realize how late it was, that's all."

"Was Vic there?" Skylar asked stonily.

Teddy frowned. "No. Why?"

Skylar shook her head, realizing her voice sounded rougher than she had intended. "Just wondering, that's all."

"So," Melissa said loudly, "now that we're all here, I'd like to make a toast!" She held up her glass, smiling warmly at Rick. "To my fiance, who in a few months will be my new family."

"To Mum," her dad added, a sad smile on his face, "who I'm sure is here with us right now."

"To Mum," Skylar and Melissa repeated.

Skylar felt Teddy wrap his arm around her comfortingly. As upset as she was with him, she couldn't help but lean into him. "I'm sorry," he repeated once everybody was immersed in their own conversations.

"It's fine," she sighed, turning to give him a small peck. With the way he was looking right now, she wanted to do a lot more than peck him, but she had to remind herself that her family was sitting just a few feet away from them.

* * *

After the restaurant, Skylar's dad had invited everybody back to the house for drinks. However, Melissa and Rick left after a little while, because they had work early the next morning. Skylar watched as her sister and Rick left hand in hand down the empty street. Once they were mere dots in the distance, they disappeared into thin air with a loud crack.

"I really don't like him," she finally commented.

"He's not so bad," her dad said.

"He seemed nice to me," Teddy said, shrugging.

"See, Teddy likes him," her dad said as if that settled matters.

"Teddy likes everybody," Skylar dismissed them.

"Maybe you should try that," her dad told her, a small smile on his face. "It might be worthwhile being nicer to people."

"I doubt it," she muttered.

"Anyway," her dad said, yawning, "it's getting late. I reckon I'll go to bed. Teddy, are you staying?"

Skylar glanced at her dad. "We were thinking of watching some movies in the basement."

"Not in the bedroom, okay?" her dad warned. "And Teddy has to be gone by midnight."

"Dad," she said, groaning.

"Sounds fair," Teddy agreed.

Skylar rolled her eyes, grabbing Teddy's hand, and leading him down the stairs. "I don't understand why you're so obsessed with movies."

"Are you kidding me? It's the best thing muggles have ever invented." He went over to the large flatscreen t.v. "Absolutely brilliant," he sighed. "Ingenious."

"Careful. You're starting to sound like Grandpa Weasley."

Teddy laughed, turning back to face Skylar. "So, what movie do you want to watch?"

Skylar closed the space between them. "I'm not really in a mood to see a movie." She brushed her lips against his. He responded immediately, gently placing his hands around her waist. Skylar wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, pressing her body tightly against his.

"Skye," he murmured when she deepened the kiss. "What about the movie?"

Skylar responded by slipping her dress off. Teddy stared at her. "Skylar," he said seriously.

"It's fine," she said easily, pulling him into a kiss. He relented, gently cupping her face into his hands. He kissed her firmly but carefully, like he was afraid to break her. Skylar impatiently picked up the pace, her hands tangling with his his dark locks, pulling them as she smacked her lips harder against his.

"Your dad..." Skylar heard Teddy say.

"He's sleeping," she told him, her hands traveling underneath his shirt. She began to pull it up, but a set of firm hands stopped her.

"Skylar," Teddy said severely, pulling away from her. "Come on. Let's just watch the movie."

Skylar felt as if she had just been slapped. "Fine," she said, stepping back. She quickly pulled her dress back on, humiliated.

Clearly, things were _not _fine.

"Don't be mad," he sighed, reaching for her hands.

Skylar glared at him. "How come you never want to? I told you I was ready."

"Skylar, I want your first time to be special, that's all. Look, I was never in love when I did it. I want us to be in love first. I want us to be different, to be special." Teddy stepped closer, squeezing her hand.

"Fine," she finally said. "That's really sweet of you."

He smiled. "Brilliant," he said, gently kissing her forehead. "Now, your dad told me about this movie where..."

Skylar watched as Teddy turned around, fiddling through the movies her dad had collected over the years. She was confused and hurt, but mostly she felt rejected. Teddy had a bit of reputation at the school. He was willing to sleep with countless nameless girls, but why not her? She told herself that Teddy was telling the truth, that he wanted it to be special for her. Deep down, though, there was another voice. A voice telling her that the real reason he didn't want to sleep with her was because he didn't want her like he wanted other girls, he wasn't attracted to her like he was other girls.


	12. The Last Unicorn

Cos_ you don't taste like you should,_  
_And you don't fit in my arms like she would._

_-__**Passenger**_

* * *

Luke trailed after Grayson, struggling to keep up with his best friend's speedy walk. "Mate, I don't think this is a good idea..." Luke said quietly, hearing the music blaring from the house at the end of the street. Teenagers were milling around the lawn, laughing and holding plastic cups of what Luke assumed was not pumpkin juice. A group of giggling girls entered the house where the music was blasting. Their entrance was met with several loud shouts and shrieks.

Grayson stopped, turning to glare at him. "Luke, when was the last time you had a decent shag?"

Luke stopped, thinking of the night before. Grace had come over...

"Exactly," Grayson said triumphantly when Luke failed to respond. "It's been far too long."

"Actually," Luke told him, "there's been this girl- "

Grayson let out a cold laugh. "_A _girl? As in just one? Don't be a fucking pansy, Luke."

Luke frowned. "I'm not a pansy. Besides, what about Diana? Last time I checked, you two were still very much together."

"And is Diana _here_?" Grayson asked, a smile creeping up on his thin lips. "But hey," he said, throwing his hands up innocently, "if you wanna be a one woman man, by all means go ahead. Just remember we can't be seen together in public."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Don't be a prat."

"Seriously," Grayson said, "it'd ruin my reputation if I suddenly began hanging out with a fucking pussy."

Luke's eyes hardened. "Which girl?"

Grayson grinned wickedly, swiveling back around. "How about Victoire Weasley?"

Luke stopped. Grace's best friend? He felt his stomach drop. "No way," he said. Even though Grace was furious with Victoire, Luke knew she still cared about her.

"Scared?" Grayson cackled.

"No. She's just not my type."

"She's a fucking veela, idiot. She's _everybody's _type."

"Then why don't _you _go for her? Too scared?" Luke crossed his arms, grinning victoriously as Grayson's smile faded.

"Please," Grayson scoffed. "If I wanted Weasley, I could get her."

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Then go get her."

Grayson glanced back at the party. "Five galleons I leave with her tonight."

"Deal. There's no way Victoire would even give you the time of the day." Luke smirked, knowing he'd just cheated his best friend out of five galleons.

Grayson scowled. "Come on. And don't think I've forgotten about you either."

"Me?"

"You need to find a nice, shaggable girl." Grayson stopped, surveying the party. "How about a blonde?"

Teddy thought of Grace's silky, dark hair. "I'm not really into blonde's at the moment."

"Fine, then a brunette. Whatever. Just find somebody."

"I found Victoire," Luke told him quietly, nodding to the front deck of the house. Sitting on the porch swing with Skylar, Victoire was being surrounded by admirers. She and Skylar kept exchanging smirks, amused by all the attention. "Go ahead," Luke said, giving Grayson a small push.

"I need to get some shots in me first," Grayson told him. Luke shook his head, watching as the tall, lanky bloke traipsed into the house. He considered leaving the party right then, before Grayson could notice he was gone, but then he heard Grace's name.

"...Grace not here?" Victoire asked, once she had shooed away all the lovestruck blokes around her.

Skylar shrugged. "You know Gracie. It's just not her scene."

Victoire nodded sadly. "Yeah..."

Luke shuffled over uncomfortably to them. He wanted to tell Victoire that Grace was just hurt, that she still cared about her, that they were still friends. But how could he bring that up without arousing suspicion?

When Skylar noticed Luke, her eyes narrowed. "Yes?" she demanded.

"What's your problem, blondie?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Skylar crossed her arms. "You and Teddy got into a fight last weekend."

Victoire glanced at Luke, a small smile on her lips. "Did you?" she asked, sounding mildly amused.

Skylar glanced at her. "This idiot tried to punch Teddy."

"That was Grayson, not me," Luke clarified. "And your little boyfriend was asking for it anyway."

Victoire laughed. "What did Teddy do anyway?" she asked.

"Teddy didn't do anything!" Skylar defended her boyfriend. Victoire rolled her eyes, waving her friend off.

Luke scrunched up his face, trying to remember why he had gotten so angry with Teddy. "I don't remember," he finally said.

Victoire snorted. "What do you want, Bishop?" Skylar demanded, annoyed.

"I actually came here to talk to Victoire," he said, turning from one blonde to another.

Victoire raised her eyebrows. "If you've come to flirt with her- " Skylar began, but Luke cut her off.

"-I came to warn you...about Grayson."

"Ah," Victoire said.

"We sort of made a bet..." he began apologetically.

Victoire shrugged. "I wouldn't expect anything less. So, what exactly is he going to try?"

"To shag you."

Skylar glared at him. "You two are disgusting."

Luke shrugged. "Maybe so, but now's your chance to leave."

Skylar blinked. "Why would we leave?"

"So you could avoid Grayson. I mean, the bloke's my best mate, but he can be a bit of a tosser when it comes to women."

"You want me to leave because some prick is going to try to hit on me?" Victoire asked, sounding slightly incredulous.

"Trust me, you won't have fun...not when Grayson selects you as his next target," Luke warned her.

Skylar and Victoire exchanged looks. "Don't worry about me," Victoire told him.

"Yeah," Skylar said, a grin spreading across her face, "me and Vic _always _have fun."

Luke stared at them suspiciously. "What- "

"Skye! Vic!" A loud voice barked from behind Luke. "I thought you said we were meeting at your house!"

Luke turned around to find himself face to face with Finn. "What are _you _doing here?" Finn demanded, seeing Luke. He shot Victoire and Skylar incredulous looks.

"Leaving," Luke told him firmly. He had promised Grace the week before that he wouldn't get into anymore fights with her friends. "Anyway," Luke said, turning back to Victoire, "I _did _warn you."

Victoire smiled. "Thanks," she said, her eyes twinkling. For a moment, Luke remembered why so many people were drawn to Victoire. It wasn't just her beauty, because well, she was absolutely flawless. It was her smile; the way her eyes lit up and twinkled warmly when she grinned at people. It instantly made you forget about her shy, quiet personality. Her welcoming smile made you feel like the most important person in the world.

"No problem," he said gruffly, walking away awkwardly.

* * *

Grayson clapped his hands together. "It's time," he announced, pointing to a girl in the corner. "She's the one," he told Luke.

"The one for what?"

"For you to shag," he said, clapping Luke on the back. "Now, you go get her, and I'll go get Victoire."

Luke glanced to the kitchen, where Skylar and Victoire were now dancing on top of the tables. "Good luck," Luke told him.

"No need," Grayson said confidently, straightening up. The two of them went their separate ways. Luke shuffled to the corner of the living room, and Grayson strutted toward the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Luke found himself talking to Jennifer Goode. Jennifer was sixteen, home schooled, and platinum blonde. "So," Jennifer said, "who's your friend?"

"My friend?"

"The one you keep glancing back at," she said, nodding toward a tall, lanky boy.

"Grayson," Luke told her. "He's about to make an arse out of himself."

"Why's that?" Jennifer wondered.

"Because that's what he does," Luke replied, shaking his head.

Jennifer glanced past Luke, a small smile spreading across her face. "Looks like you're right," she said, giggling.

Luke turned around. Grayson was walking toward him, soaked in something foul-smelling. Behind him, Victoire and Skylar were cackling. Sour faced, Grayson stopped in front of Luke. He handed Luke five galleons before stomping away.

Luke shook his head. "Stinksap," he told Jennifer.

"How'd you know that?" she asked, surprised.

"The real question is where did Skylar and Victoire get it?" he said, glancing back at the two girls. Skylar was high-fiving Victoire. A few feet away from them, Teddy and Finn were smiling. Finn looked incredibly pleased, especially considering how much he hated Grayson. Teddy, on the other hand, was watching Victoire laugh, a complacent smile on his face.

"Is that the girl you fancy?" Jennifer asked quietly, her eyes on Victoire.

Luke shook his head. "No. Her best friend. She's not at the party..."

"But you were hoping she would be," Jennifer finished for him.

Luke looked back at her. "I'm sorry."

"Why don't you tell her how you feel?" she wondered.

"She doesn't feel the same way. All her friends hate me, and she's still in love with her ex-boyfriend. I'm just a rebound." Luke didn't know why he was telling Jennifer all of this. Maybe it was the firewhiskeys he'd had a few minutes ago, or maybe it was the fact that nobody had cared to ask before; whatever the reason, he suddenly felt the urge to tell somebody how he felt about Grace. "I never expected to like her so much...she was just a good time, you know? A fit girl to shag once, a way to piss off a few people..."

"Where is she now?" Jennifer asked quietly, taking a step closer to Luke.

He shrugged. "No idea."

"Maybe, you need somebody to help you forget about her," she breathed before gently pressing her lips against Luke's.

"You know what," Luke said decisively, pulling Jennifer closer to him. "I think you're right."

* * *

Somehow, Luke and Jennifer had left the party in record time. Luke remembered Jennifer pulling him through the living room, where they passed a bitter looking Grayson. Luke had smirked triumphantly at Grayson before Disapparating with Jennifer. They'd arrived at the gates of Luke's house. They had somehow made it inside the house, stumbled up the stairs, and found their way into the bedroom. Jennifer didn't even give Luke enough time to lock the door before she had shoved her tongue down his throat.

Vaguely, Luke remembered Jennifer pushing him down against his bed. However, a moment later, their lips had found each other again. It wasn't like with Grace. With Grace, he wanted to treasure every single touch, every kiss. With Jennifer, on the other hand, he couldn't wait until it was over. He just wanted it done with. Jennifer didn't fit in his arms like Grace did. She didn't kiss him like Grace did. She didn't shudder slightly when Luke slowly kissed her collarbone. It didn't feel right at all.

"Oh my god." A small voice interrupted them. Instantly recognizing the soft voice, Luke shot up.

"Grace!" he cried, jumping out of bed.

She stood frozen in the doorway, staring at Jennifer in horror. Her face was pale, but it was her eyes that really made Luke nervous. They were wide and bloodshot, like she'd been crying.

The three of them were all speechless, unsure of what to do. Jennifer sat on Luke's bed, using the covers to hide her body. Luke stood beside the bed, staring at Grace in astonishment. And Grace just stood in the doorway, her hand still on the doorknob.

"I should go," Grace finally squeaked before slamming the door shut and running off.

"Grace! Wait!" Luke cried, running after her. He followed her down the long spiral stairs, finally catching up with her in the foyer. "Wait!" he shouted, reaching out to grab her arm.

She slowly turned around to face him, a forced smile on her lips. "Sorry about that," she said in a fake-cheery voice.

"Are you okay?" he asked concernedly, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear.

She flinched away from him. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, me and Jennifer..." he trailed off, realizing how stupid of him it was to say Jennifer's name. "...and you looked upset..."

Grace looked away from him, refusing to make eye-contact. "My parents..." she stopped, taking a deep breath. "It's nothing."

"Are you sure?" he asked quietly.

"Positive," she said cheerfully, though her voice was cracking. "You should really get back to the girl...Jennifer."

Luke glanced upstairs. "I can send her away if you want. Honestly, it was nothing. Just some girl I met at a party."

Grace finally met Luke's eyes, but he suddenly wished she would look away again. Her eyes were hard and cold, much like the look of disgust and hatred Skylar had given him earlier that night.

"Does it matter?" she asked coldly.

"What?"

"It's just sex, remember?" she said coolly. "With us, that is. No strings attached. Just a good time to help me get over Collin."

He felt as if somebody had punched him in the gut. "Grace-" he began.

"-I have to go," she said, cutting him off. "I'll see you another time."

"Yeah, right..." he mumbled as she swiveled around, heading out the front door. He stood there, frozen on the same spot until he distantly heard Jennifer call his name.


	13. Tell Me Why

_I took a chance, I took a shot _  
_And you might think i'm bulletproof, but i'm not _  
_You took a swing, I took it hard _  
_And down here from the ground I see who you are _

**_-Taylor Swift_**

* * *

Swallowing the lump growing in her throat, Grace quietly pushed open the door to her house. Stepping inside the quiet foyer, Grace felt an eery chill down her spine. It was too quiet, the kind of silence that followed a huge fight. Sighing, she peered into the living room. Her mother was passed out on the couch, an open bottle of vodka in her arms. Her dark hair was undone, splattered around her aging face. Grace tiptoed toward her mother, removing the bottle from her tight grip.

"Gracie," her mother croaked, her eyes fluttering open.

"Shh," she said, stroking her mum's hair until she began to fall back asleep. Grace gently removed her mother's shoes and placed a blanket over her. "Sweet dreams, Mum," she mumbled, before heading toward the kitchen. Grace poured the remaining alcohol down the sink before throwing out the empty bottle.

As she took care of her parents, Grace had temporarily forgotten about Luke. But as she shuffled up the stairs, Grace remembered the sight of Luke and Jennifer in bed together. She felt so stupid. She couldn't believe she actually thought Luke had cared about her. But at least now she knew the truth: it was all just a game to him. If she meant nothing to him, then he meant nothing to her too. She was done with him. She couldn't let herself fall for him. He would just hurt her. Actually, he had _already _hurt her.

Determined not to think about Luke, Grace knocked on her parent's bedroom door. She wanted to know why her father would allow her mother to fall asleep drunk in the living room, especially with Henry home. When nobody answered, Grace quietly opened the door, expecting to see her dad fast asleep in bed. However, much to her surprise, the bedroom was empty. The bed was still made as if nobody had slept in it for days. Frowning and wondering where her dad could be, Grace backed out of the room, gently closing the door again. She scurried over to Henry's bedroom, wondering if her dad had taken Henry somewhere. The two of them had been talking about going camping for weeks. Maybe her dad had finally found the time.

But when Grace opened her brother's bedroom door, she found him fast asleep in his small bed. Grace tiptoed inside, setting down her jacket and shoes on his dresser. Suddenly feeling exhausted, she climbed into the tiny bed beside him.

"Grace?" he asked quietly, his eyes slowly fluttering open.

"Yeah?" she asked, giving him a small smile.

"Where were you?" he asked, his eyes wide and his voice scared. "They were fighting again."

Grace gulped. "I'm sorry, buddy. I went to go see a friend. I'll take you with me next time."

Henry didn't reply. Instead, he stared at his sister, studying her expression. "Why are you so sad?" he finally asked.

"I'm not sad," she told him firmly.

"Is it because of a boy?" he wondered.

Grace froze. It always amazed her how much her brother knew. "Yeah...it's because of a boy..." she finally admitted, sighing.

Henry shook his head. "I don't know why you're so upset about Collin. You deserve somebody much better. Somebody who wants only you."

Grace felt the lump in her throat rise again. She hadn't thought about Collin in weeks. It was Luke who seemed to dominate all of her thoughts these days. Why wasn't she enough for him? Why did he want to sleep with other girls? Did she not satisfy him? "You're right, buddy," she said sadly. "I do deserve better."

"Mum deserves better too," he told her.

"Don't say that, Henry!" Grace glared at her brother. She didn't want the two of them caught in the middle of whatever was going on between their parents. She and Henry weren't supposed to take sides. It wasn't their battle to fight.

"It's true," he said quietly.

"We don't even know what's going!" Grace protested.

"Maybe _you_ don't," he said darkly before rolling over.

Grace froze, staring blankly at the back of her little brother's head. "Henry..."

"Good night, Gracie," he said, yawning. A few seconds later, Grace heard Henry's steady breathing, and she knew he was asleep. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what it was that Henry knew. Sometimes, he was too observant for his own good.

* * *

"Rise and sunshine, my lovelies!"

Grace was awoken by somebody singing in her ear. "Skylar," she complained, recognizing her best friend's voice instantly.

"Grace, you really need to learn to go to sleep earlier," Skylar told her, shaking her head. "It's nearly ten o'clock. Time to get up!"

"What are you even doing here?" Grace demanded, sitting up. Across the room, Henry was already awake, sitting at his desk, digging eagerly through a bright box.

"Look what Vic sent me!" he exclaimed, holding up a box of Weasley Wizard Wheezes merchandise.

Skylar plopped onto the bed beside Grace. Grace eyed her best friend's face full of make up, tight dress, and five inch heels. "Skylar, what the hell are you wearing?"

Skylar glanced down at her outfit. "You don't like it? It was a big hit at the party last night." She leaned in closer, a smirk on her face. "And Teddy _really _loved it," she said in a low voice so that Henry wouldn't hear.

No luck. "That's disgusting," Henry said, making a face.

Skylar rolled her eyes. "That is disgusting," Grace agreed with her brother. "Hold on," she said, turning to look back at Skylar, "if you're wearing the same clothes from last night- "

Skylar shrugged. "I never went to sleep. Neither did the others. Although, I think Finn left with a girl..."

"I am so glad I didn't go to that party last night," Grace muttered, shaking her head.

"Anyway," Skylar continued, flipping her dirty blonde hair back, "where were _you _last night?"

Grace thought of Luke again. "Nowhere special," she said, shrugging. "What are you doing here anyway?" she asked.

"I came to tell you about Finn's pre-end of summer blow out this weekend," she replied, a grin spreading across her face.

"Pre?" Grace questioned, her voice tired.

"Yes, because you can't end the summer with just _one _party," Skylar replied. "At least, not according to Finn."

Grace cracked a small smile. "You can't?"

"Of course not," Skylar replied, rolling her eyes. "Godric, Grace!"

"You have been spending way too much time with Finley."

"You're telling me," Skylar said, sighing. "It's what I get for dating Theodore Tonks."

"You do know Teddy's not short for Theodore, right?"

"And you know what's worse?" Skylar continued as if she hadn't heard Grace. "I'm pretty sure that if Finn were a girl, Teddy would totally date him."

"He would not."

"Have you seen those two together lately? They're inseparable."

"It's just a bromance," Henry said from his corner.

"Exactly." Grace nodded.

"If I were you," Henry told Skylar, "I'd be more worried about Victoire."

Skylar froze, her easy smile fading. "Henry!" Grace snapped, shushing him.

"It's true," Henry said wisely, "Teddy's in love with Victoire."

"No, he's not," Grace said fiercely.

"Yes, he is. He's the only reason Victoire and I haven't gotten together yet."

"Yes, that must be why Victoire refuses to go out with a six year old," Grace said, rolling her eyes.

"I'm eight!"

"Whatever. Just get out." Grace pointed to the door.

"It's my room!" Henry exclaimed in annoyance.

"Oh yeah."

Skylar turned to Henry. "What makes you think Teddy's in love with Victoire?"

"Skye, you're not actually taking him seriously, are you? I mean, he thinks he honestly has a shot with Vic."

"I can just tell," Henry replied, ignoring Grace.

"How?" Skylar asked quietly.

"He''s always happy when she's around," Henry informed her, examining a long pipe he had just pulled out of the box. "Hmm...I wonder what this is for..."

"They're friends," Grace reminded them. "_Best _friends. Of course he's going to be happy and enjoy her company, but that doesn't mean he's in _love _with her."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Skylar said, although she remained unconvinced.

Henry stood up, carefully placing the box on the table. He glanced at his sister and her best friend. "He looks at her like Dad used to look at Mum."

Skylar and Grace exchanged looks. "Dad still looks at Mum in a special way," Grace told him gently.

Henry gave her a pitying smile. "No, he doesn't..."

"Gracie! Henry! Breakfast is ready!"

The sound of her mum's voice made Grace jumped. "Breakfast?" she said it as if it were a foreign word.

"Great, I'm starving," Skylar exclaimed, jumping up. "You have room for one more, Mrs. Rhodes?" she called down, bouncing out of the room.

Grace glanced at her brother. "When was the last time Mum made us breakfast?"

"Seventy six days," he informed her. "Not that I'm keeping count or anything," he said as they traipsed downstairs.

Much to Grace's surprise, her mum had cleaned up since last night. She had somehow managed to turn the messy knots in her hair into an elegant bun. She'd replaced the oversized t-shirt and pants with a modest, yellow dress. And there was a simple pearl necklace around her neck, helping to create the perfect suburban, housewife look most of the women in the neighborhood donned. Things were almost back to normal as Grace watched her mum serve Skylar at the table, a smile on her red lips.

"Mum?" Grace asked, confused.

Her mother turned to face her, her eyes instantly softening. And Grace knew. This was her way of making it up to Grace for the night before. This was her way of trying to make it right.

Grace wasn't an idiot. She knew that this 'perfect Mum' routine would fade away eventually, but that didn't mean she couldn't milk it for all it was worth. If her mum wanted to act like a real mother, then there was no way she would argue. There once was a time where Grace could rely on her mother, when she really was the perfect suburban housewife and mother. But that seemed liked another lifetime ago. Recently, Grace been introduced to the flaky, undependable version of her mother. And that was the mother she was used to. And that was the mother she expected to appear before her in a few days, after she got tired of being the reliable version of herself.

"Where's Dad?" Henry asked, eyeing his dad's seat.

Her mother froze, her smile hardening. "Work," she said stiffly.

"Already?" Henry complained. "I didn't even get to see him!"

"This is great, Mrs. Rhodes," Skylar said through a mouthful as somebody knocked at the door.

"I'll get it," Grace volunteered, making her way to the foyer.

However the moment she opened the door, she wished she had let somebody else answer it. Luke was standing there, his hands in his pockets, a nervous smile on his face.

"Luke!" she hissed, glancing back to make sure nobody had seen him.

"Hey, Grace," he said, giving her his most heartbreaking smile.

"What are you doing here?" she whispered, stepping out onto the porch and closing the door behind her.

He ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Right. Sorry."

"Luke," she said, taking his hand and dragging him around the other side of the house where nobody could see them. "What are you doing here?"

"This." He said swiftly before flattening her against the wall and kissing her feverishly. His hands gripped her body possessively, clinging onto her like she was the only thing keeping him alive. Grace reacted before she could even think to stop herself. She gripped him tightly, never wanting to let go of the feeling that erupted through her body when he kissed her like that.

A little kid's laugh from across the street snapped Grace back to reality.

"_What are you_ doing?" she asked furiously, glancing around to make sure none of the neighbors had seen them.

"Listen, Grace, about last night-"

Grace held her up her hand. "We don't have to talk about it."

"No, we do. Listen, Jennifer, she meant nothing. Grayson just kept pushing her onto me and-"

"It doesn't _matter_," Grace told him vehemently. "I'm not your girlfriend, remember? You don't owe me any explanations."

Luke nodded. "Right, about that. I've been thinking about this whole 'no strings attached thing' and-"

"-it's perfect right!" Grace said, interrupting him again. She needed to let him know that he hadn't hurt her. "I mean, you're right. I totally got over Collin because of it."

Luke had stepped away from her, a frown on his face. "You're saying you like the way things are?"

Grace shrugged. "Yeah, I guess." She wouldn't give him the satisfaction. She wouldn't let him know how she spent all night, feeling sick over the thought of him and Jennifer together.

"Oh." Luke scratched his head, looking lost.

"Why?"

"I just...the look on your face last night...I thought things had changed."

Grace felt her pulse quicken. "What? No, of course not. W-Why? Do you want things to change?"

"Grace? Where are you?" Skylar called from somewhere on the porch.

"You should go," Luke told her, giving her a small smile.

Grace looked at him uncertainly. "So, nothing's changed?" she asked. "We're okay?"

He forced a smile. "Yeah, I'll see you later."

She nodded, slowly backing away. "Okay. See you."

* * *

Grace winced, watching Skylar and Teddy snog feverishly beside her. "Great party, guys," she said under her breath, taking a sip of the firewhiskey in her cup. "I'm really having the time of my life here."

Skylar pulled away from Teddy temporarily. "Did you say something, Gracie?"

"Nope," she replied, not that they heard. Sighing, Grace stood up, making her way through the party, searching for somebody that wasn't too wasted to hold a conversation.

"You look like you're enjoying yourself." A familiar, sarcastic voice forced Grace to turn around. Victoire was standing behind her, chugging down the bottle of firewhiskey in her hand.

"So do you," Grace retorted, taking away the bottle of alcohol from Victoire.

"It's been a long night," Victoire told her, eyeing something behind Grace.

Frowning, Grace turned in the direction Victoire was staring, and she found herself watching Teddy and Skylar kissing fiercely. "Ah," she said, turning back to face Victoire. "Still not over him, huh."

"What are you talking about?" Victoire scoffed, swaying slightly. Grace reached out to catch her before she tripped over her own heels.

"You know, if you told Skylar how you felt-"

"-she's happy," Victoire cut her off. "Skye's been through a lot already. And Teddy makes her happy."

Grace frowned. "You really care about her, huh."

Victoire stared at her. "She's my best friend."

"Funny how you just leave your best friends when they need you."

Victoire glared at her. "Grace, I am way too drunk to have to deal with you right now."

"Maybe if you weren't such a coward and told Teddy how you felt, then maybe you wouldn't be drunk in the first place."

"Oh my Godric. How many times have I told you I don't care about Teddy."

"Vic, I didn't believe you a year ago, and I don't believe you now."

"OI, WEASLEY! GET OVER HERE!" A tall bloke from across the room called for Victoire.

"Who's that?" Grace wondered.

Victoire squinted her eyes. "I don't remember." She shrugged, heading in the direction of the mysterious bloke. "Oh, well."

Grace shook her head disapprovingly. "This is why I don't come to these stupid parties."

"Hey, Grace." The stock, muscular figure of Collin appeared in front of her.

"Kill me now," she muttered.

"How are you?" he asked anxiously.

She fixed him with a hard gaze. "Absolutely fantastic."

"So, I take it you're still upset," he guessed.

Grace glared at him.

"I'm going to take that as a yes."

"What do you want, Collin?"

"You."

"What?"

He sighed, taking a step closer to her. "Look, I made a huge mistake when I broke up with you. I've been thinking about you all summer."

"Even while you were with those other girls?"

"Yes!"

Grace raised her eyebrows. "Collin, come on."

"It's true. All those girls didn't mean anything, because I didn't love them like I love you. Gracie, I miss you."

Grace was too stunned to speak.

"I want us to get back together. Look, I screwed up, but I promise, this time it'll be different."

"I don't want that," Grace heard herself say.

"What?"

"I don't want us to get back together." She thought of what her brother had told her a few nights ago. "I deserve better. I deserve somebody that wants me. And only me."

"But I do!"

"For now, Collin. But what happens in a few weeks when you get bored again?"

"But I won't get bored! That's what I'm trying to tell you."

Grace glanced at Skylar and Teddy. She was sitting in his lap, laughing as he whispered something in her ear. The truth was, she missed that. She missed being in a relationship and holding hands and telling the person she loved how much he meant to her.

But then Luke popped into her head. She remembered how much he made her heart race and the way she couldn't help but smile whenever she was with him. No matter how much she missed the intimacy of a relationship, she also wasn't ready to give up what she had with Luke. Even if he did hurt her sometimes.

"I'm sorry, Collin, but it's too late."

Much to her surprise, Collin smiled. "I was expecting that much."

"So, you're okay with this?"

"Yes, because I'm going to win you back, Gracie," he promised her. "I'm not giving up on you that easily."

With that, he marched away, but Grace didn't chase after him. Instead, she stared at Luke, who had been standing behind Collin the entire time, listening to everything she had just said.


	14. Love The Way You Lie

_Then this thing turned out so evil_  
_I don't know why I'm still surprised_

**_-Skylar Grey_**

* * *

Victoire stumbled into the empty garden, a bottle of firewhiskey in her hand. Sitting in the garden on a wooden bench was Luke. When he saw he saw her, he held up his hand, showing her his flask. She grimaced, making her way towards him.

"Rough night?" he asked knowingly.

"You could sat that," she mumbled, slumping into the seat beside him.

They were silent for a while, each of them buried in their own thought and worries. Luke took a swig from his flask.

"So, you still into Lupin?" he asked.

"No. I hate him."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, me too."

Victoire glanced down at her empty bottle sadly. Noticing this, Luke reached into his coat and tossed another flask at her. She smiled, gulping down the alcohol in the small container. "Thanks," she said, a content smile returning to her red lips.

Luke nodded. "So, what are you doing back anyway? Got sick of France?"

"I got kicked out of Beauxbaton," she confessed.

He was surprised. Sweet, little Victoire got kicked out? Then again, from what he was seeing, Victoire was no longer little or sweet. So, he just nodded. "Oh."

She set the tiny flask down. "Why are you out here, anyway?" she wondered. "No girls in there worth your attention?"

"Not anymore, no." He looked ahead. "I slept with Grace."

If Victoire was surprised, she didn't show it. She just took another sip of bourbon from her flask.

"And the worst part is that I might actually have feelings for her," Luke continued.

He waited for Victoire to respond, but she never did. She just continued, drinking from her flask. Finally, when she finished, she stood up and handed him back his flask. "Don't worry," she told him quietly, "I won't tell anybody."

There was a ghost of a small on his face as he said, "Thanks."

She gave him a curt nod before turning around and heading back inside to the party.

* * *

Since the night of Teddy and Finn's party, Luke and Victoire had developed an unlikely friendship. He complained to her about how much he liked Grace, and she told him to grow a pair and ask her out. Not that Luke ever listened to her, of course. Not after Grace kept telling him she didn't care if he dated other girls.

"Well, what else would she say?" Victoire would demand, rolling her eyes. "Your entire relationship began out of meaningless sex."

"Exactly," Luke would point out. "She doesn't want a relationship. She even told Collin that."

Luke liked having Victoire as a friend. She was honest with him and never took any of his crap. Plus, beneath her cold exterior and annoyingly sarcastic mouth, Victoire was actually a kind person. She was loyal to him, always standing up for him whenever Teddy or Finn complained about their strange new friendship. Plus, unlike Skylar, Victoire didn't look down on others because they weren't as good looking or popular as her. If she didn't like somebody, it was for a good reason. And he respected that about her.

That's why it was so difficult for him to accept that she didn't like Grayson. Vic usually had good instincts about people, and her instincts kept telling her to stay away from Grayson. Luke knew that if she just got to know Grayson, she'd see he was harmless. He was all just talk like an annoying chichuaha. He'll bark at you, but when you came too close, he would cower and tremble in fear.

"Just give him a shot," Luke begged one morning as they ate breakfast at her house.

Victoire took a bite of her toast, frowning as she carefully chewed. "Lucas, please, I thought we were done having this conversation," she said once she was done swallowing.

"We're going out tonight. Why don't you join us?" he suggested.

Bill, Victoire's dad, put down his paper. "Who are you two talking about?" he asked.

"Grayson," Victoire informed her dad. "He's a _Slytherin_."

Fleur, Victoire's breathtakingly beautiful mother, made a tutting noise. "Victoire," she said, in her heavy French accent, "be nice."

Bill agreed, waggling his finger at his daughter. "Remember what your uncle Harry is always telling you?"

"But Dad," Victoire said testily, "_Slytherin._"

"You shouldn't judge him because he's a _Slytherin._"

"Yeah," she agreed, "I should judge him because he's a prick."

Bill looked like he wanted to laugh. "Yes, well, why don't you listen to Luke and give this young man a shot."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Fine, what are you two doing tonight?" she asked Luke.

Grinning, Luke shrugged. "I don't know. How about dinner?"

"Fine," she agreed begrudgingly, "but only if you let me throw water in his face if he says something annoying."

Fleur and Bill rolled their eyes, but Luke winced, knowing Vic was fully capable of actually throwing a drink in Grayson's face.

"No," he told her firmly. Shrugging, Victoire returned to her breakfast.

Later that night, as Luke got ready for dinner with Victoire and Grayson, Grace appeared in his doorway. "Going somewhere?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Luke finished buttoning up his shirt. "I'm going to dinner with Grayson and Vic. You wanna join?"

Grace made a face. "Grayson _and _Victoire? No, thanks. Besides, wouldn't that look a tad suspicious if I joined you?"

"No, I mean, you're friends with Vic, aren't you?" Luke had been trying to get the two girls to make up but to no avail. Grace really could be stubborn when she wanted to be. Luckily, Victoire understood Grace's anger, and she was willing to patiently wait until Grace cooled off.

"Victoire is _not _my friend," Grace huffed angrily.

"She's my friend, though."

"Yeah, I really don't understand that."

Luke grabbed a jacket, finally satisfied with his appearance. "You sure you don't wanna come?" he asked her.

"Yeah. Besides, wouldn't that be like a _date._"

He stared at her. "Yeah, I guess it would be."

Grace blinked, looking confused. "Right."

"Would that be a problem?" Luke wanted to know.

"No. Yes. I don't know. We just don't do that, remember."

Luke nodded. "Right, because it's just sex with us."

Grace flinched. "Yeah, I guess."

"And you don't want any more than that?" he clarified.

Grace stood there, looking bewildered. "N-no. Do you?"

"I guess not. See you after dinner?" he asked.

Grace appeared to still be struggling to understand their conversation. "Erm...yeah...will you be long?"

"I don't think so," Luke muttered, "but you never know with Grayson."

He leaned down, giving Grace a quick kiss goodbye, but she was still too mystified to respond.

* * *

Dinner had a rough start, especially when Grayson showed up twenty minutes late. A hungry Victoire was already in a sour mood and completely unwilling to put up with Grayson's rubbish. Then, with Grayson attempting to hit on her every five minutes, Luke knew Victoire was only a good five minutes from slapping him. Luke kept shooting her apologetic looks, which she promptly ignored. As for Grayson, he was completely oblivious to Victoire's annoyance, even after Luke kicked him under the table several times.

"Is there anything else you lot need?" the cheerful waitress asked them. "Dessert?"

"Just the check, please," Victoire said automatically, despite the fact that Luke had seen her eyeing the chocolate souffle all night.

"Right away," the waitress replied, taking away their dirty plates.

"Wasn't this fun?" Luke exclaimed, throwing his two friends wide grins.

Victoire glared at him, but Grayson laughed. "Brilliant! We should really extend this night!"

"Actually, Vic has to be home," Luke lied smoothly. Victoire shot him a grateful look.

"That's too bad," Grayson said, standing up. "Anyway, I'll be right back."

Once Grayson had left for the bathroom, Victoire turned to glare daggers at Luke. "I hate you."

"He wasn't that bad," Luke said fairly.

"You are so making this up to me," she insisted, flipping her silvery blonde hair back.

Luke sighed. "Yeah, I'm sorry."

"So," she asked, shifting subjects, "how's Grace?"

"If you made up with her, then maybe you'd know."

"If you told her how you felt, then maybe you wouldn't be so miserable," she countered.

"That was cold."

"But true."

Luke sighed. "She told me just a few hours ago that she didn't want anything more."

Victoire groaned. "That's only because she's afraid of getting hurt. Damn it, Luke, she caught you in bed with another girl after her first love broke up with her to _be _with other girls. You understand why she's a little hesitant to let you in, don't you?"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Well, it's not like anything even happened with Jennifer. I sent her away."

"Does Grace know that?"

"No."

"You're a fucking moron, you know that."

Luke glared at her. "You ever think that maybe this is why all your friends hate you?"

Victoire shrugged. "It's possible, but it still doesn't change the fact that you're a wanker."

"Why? Because I don't make myself look like an idiot in front of Grace?"

"Yes! Love is about taking risks, and if you don't take a risk with Grace, nothing will ever happen."

"Love? I never said I was in love with her."

"But you could be someday," Victoire said, shrugging. "But instead of fighting for her, you've been avoiding her ever since Finn and Teddy's stupid party."

"I haven't been _avoiding _her," Luke said.

"Yes, you have. And no offense, it makes you look like a bit of a coward. Very Un-Gryffindor like."

He was about to retort when he noticed Grayson returning. "So, what are we talking about?" Grayson asked, taking his seat.

"Nothing," Victoire replied, her hard gaze still on Luke.

"Anyway, so this party tonight," Grayson said, "it'll be brilliant!"

"What party?" Victoire asked.

"The party the three of us are going to!" Grayson told her.

Luke stared at his best friend. "_We're _not going anywhere. I told you, Vic's gotta be home."

Grayson leaned forward, placing his hand on Victoire's knee. "It's not like you haven't broken the rules before," he said in a low voice. "I've heard all about your little adventures at Beauxbaton."

Victoire jerked her knee away. "Where's this party?" she asked through gritted teeth.

Grayson beamed triumphantly, but Luke shot her a questioning look. "What are you up to?" he asked her in a low voice.

She glanced at him, a mischievous smile on her lips. "Revenge."

Luke glared at her. "I really don't like this," he muttered.

Victoire rolled her eyes at him. "You're telling me he doesn't deserve it?"

"Depends on what you're planning."

"An innocent joke. No excruciating pain or harm. Just unbearable humiliation."

Luke shook his head. "You're evil."

* * *

Victoire stood between Luke and Grayson, observing the unfolding party before her. It wasn't so much a party as it was a dark house where couples snogged mercilessly.

"Great party," she said in a bored voice.

"It will be once you find the right person." Grayson smirked, inching closer to her.

"As long as it's not you," she muttered under her breath. Grayson, having heard this, shot her an annoyed look.

"Why don't I get us a few drinks!" Luke offered, attempting to diffuse the tension. Before he left, he leaned into Victoire. "Be nice," he ordered.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't say anything. That didn't do much to reassure him.

Once Luke was gone, Grayson turned to Victoire. "So, when did you and Luke become such good friends? I doubt Lupin would approve."

Victoire kept her eyes on Luke. He was making his way through the living room, stopping to say 'hello' to a few friends. "Teddy doesn't choose my friends," she replied coolly.

Grayson took her hand, spinning her around so that they were face to face. "That's good to hear," he whispered. He was standing so close to her that she could feel his hot breath against her skin.

"Watch it," she warned him, stepping back. "I'm only being nice to you because of Luke."

He raised his eyebrows. "This is you being nice?"

She gave him her most dazzling smile. "Exactly."

"Well, then," Grayson said, handing her an open bottle, "I better behave myself."

Victoire glanced down at the drink in her hand. "What's this?" she demanded.

"A peace treaty," he told her. "For Luke."

She nodded, holding up her bottle. "I agree to tolerate your arsehole behavior because I know you're just a sad, pathetic cock-up."

Grayson held up his own drink. "And I agree to tolerate your arrogance and pigheadedness until you decide you're too good for the rest of us."

Victoire rolled her eyes before gulping down the firewhiskey Grayson had just given her. She set the drink down, her eyes still on Grayson's smug smile. She frowned as his self-satisfied smile blurred. She put her hand on her head, a sudden pounding pain overtaking her other senses as the music and laughter in the background faded out.

She stared at Grayson, his face blurring in and out. "You put something in my drink," she accused, clutching her throat.

Distantly she heard a dark laugh before everything went black.


	15. Safe and Sound

_Just close your eyes_  
_The sun is going down_  
_You'll be alright_  
_No one can hurt you now_  
_Come morning light_  
_You and I'll be safe and sound_

**_-Taylor Swift_**

* * *

Luke made his way through the throngs of snogging couples, pushing people out of the way. In his hands were two drinks, one for Vic and the other for Grayson. He traipsed through the party, seeing familiar faces, slowly growing more and more uneasy. The party Grayson had brought them to did not have the best of crowds, and Luke wanted to make sure he got Victoire out of there before some wanker tried to take advantage of her.

"Luke, mate, where've you been?" A short, freckly bloke asked, his arm around a plump girl.

"David," Luke asked, "have you seen Victoire Weasley? She's tall, blonde..."

"...completely gorgeous," David finished for him. He had an idiotic, dreamy smile on his face when he said her name. The girl he was with shot him a pointed look, and he immediately snapped out of it.

"So you saw her?" Luke pressed on.

"Oh, erm...yeah...she was with Grayson..." David, who was unusually short for his age, stood on the tip of his toes and looked around. "I reckon they were near that hallway," he said, pointing in the opposite direction.

Luke nodded. "Thanks."

"Come on," the girl said impatiently, tugging on David's arm.

"I'll see you around," David said as he was dragged away.

"Yeah, see you," Luke muttered, already back on his search for Victoire and Grayson. He hoped Victoire had behaved herself. He would hate to find a pissed off Grayson, covered in stinksap again. "Vic!" he called, turning into a narrow hallway. "Grayson? Where are you guys?"

"Who you looking for?" A tall bloke with an athletic build asked, his back against the wall as he took a drag of something.

"My two mates," Luke explained, "one of them's a girl. She's tall, blonde..."

"...looks like a fucking veela?" the guy guessed.

"Pretty much."

He pointed to the door of the bedroom opposite him. "They went in there," he said, straightening up. "But I don't think you should interrupt them...if you know what I mean..."

Luke rolled his eyes. "They're not like that. She hates him, trust me."

The guy merely shrugged his shoulders before walking away, a cloud of smoke following after him. "Vic?" Luke asked timidly, knocking on the door. He didn't want to just barge into the bedroom. What if there was another couple in there?

When nobody answered, Luke slowly opened the door, poking his head inside. Grayson was on top of Victoire, struggling to keep her down. Luke stood in the doorway for a split-second, watching in horror as a half-consious Victoire struggled to push Grayson away.

"Get off!" she attempted to shout, but it came out as a feeble whisper.

Grayson, smashed his lips against hers, triggering Luke back to reality. He stormed into the room, limbs flying as he slammed into Grayson, knocking him off the bed.

"Luke?" Victoire managed to gasp before passing out completely, her blouse unbuttoned, revealing the lacy pink bra beneath.

"You sick _bastard_!" Luke shouted, punching Grayson.

Grayson grunted, attempting to push Luke off him. "It was just a joke, mate."

"_A joke__?" _Luke repeated, feeling queasy. "_What the hell's the matter with you?_"

"She was asking for it!"

Luke couldn't help himself. He hardly even noticed the pain in his hands as his fists slammed into Grayson's face over and over again. "You," he shouted in between blows, "are sorry excuse for a human being."

Grayson, who had obviously been drinking, struggled to fight off Luke, who was on a rampage now. He stood up, slamming his foot onto Grayson's nose, knocking him out completely. "Bastard," Luke spat, glaring down at Grayson's swollen and bloody face.

Behind him, the music and laughs of the party from the room outside continued on, unaware of what had just happened in the room next door, unaware that a girl's innocence was just seconds from being stripped, unaware that Luke had just lost what he thought was his best friend.

The rest of the night was kind of a blur. Luke remembered feeling sick as he fixed Victoire's blouse and carried her out of the party. He remembered sneaking into her house and carefully placing her on the bed beneath the blankets so that her parents would never suspect a thing. He remembered leaving the house, the urge to go back to that party and find Grayson greater than ever. He couldn't stand being in the same room as Victoire, not after what he had just put her through. He was the one that insisted she get to know Grayson, he was the one that had ignored her misgivings about him in the first place, he was the one that had left her alone with him. He couldn't go back home, not after the overwhelming guilt that had suddenly taken over him.

There was only one person he could think of to turn to.

* * *

Grace loved homework. She loved the smell of brand-new parchment and wet ink when she wrote an essay. Every summer she looked forward to buying new school supplies, carefully browsing through the different selections of books and cauldrons she needed, reading the textbooks assigned, learning new spells and potions.

Skylar always made fun of her. "Godric, Gracie," she would say, exasperated, "you're so weird."

But Grace didn't care. Especially not that night. Besides being with Luke, it was one of the best nights she'd had in a long time. Her dad had finally taken her younger brother camping, after she had berated him nonstop for breaking his promise to take him weeks ago. Her mother, who'd been much more relaxed since her father left, had taken the weekend off to go to the spa with a few friends. So, Gracie was all alone at the house, and equipped with her brand-new textbooks, she was prepared to get her summer homework finished.

So, it was a bit of surprise when Luke showed up in her room late that night. It was especially embarrassing considering she only had an over-sized t-shirt on, and her hair was in a messy, loose bun so that her long locks wouldn't fall in her face as she read.

"Luke!" she exclaimed, jumping slightly at the sight of his lost face standing in her bedroom doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I don't know...I didn't really know where else to go..."

Grace put her book down, marking the last page she'd read. "I wish you would've told me you were coming...I would have put on something a little more..." she trailed off, seeing the look on his face. "What's the matter?" she asked, her heart skipping a beat at the sight of his horrified face. She'd never seen him look scared before. It was slightly unnerving.

Luke gulped. "Victoire..."

Grace jumped out of bed, her heart pounding. "Is she okay? Oh, Godric, did something happen? Is she in St. Mungo's again?"

Luke shook his head. "She's fine. It's Grayson...he...erm...he put something in her drink tonight."

Fury bubbled up in the pit of Grace's stomach. "_What_?" she asked, her voice quivering.

"When I finally found them...Grace, he was going to rape her and-"

Grace didn't let Luke finish his sentence before she walked around him, searching for her shoes. "Where is she now? Godric, how many times have I told you about Grayson?" She grabbed the first pair of flip flops she saw in her closet before turning around to face Luke again. "I knew he was bad news. Why didn't you just listen to me? Why did you leave her alone with him? You're supposed to be her friend. How could you let something like that happen? Especially after everything she's been through..."

Luke stared at her. "So, it's _my _fault?"

Grace closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "I never said that."

"You didn't have to."

"Just tell me she's okay," she asked quietly.

Luke sighed, sinking into her bed. "I made sure she was okay before I left her. She's in her bedroom sleeping right now."

Grace nodded. "And Grayson?"

"Hopefully still unconscious with a bloody nose."

"You _hit _him?!" Grace yelped, her eyes widening.

Luke glared at her. "What else was I supposed to do?"

"Well, this may come as a surprise to you, Luke, but not everything has to be settled through violence! Godric, what's the matter with you?" she demanded, pulling her hair in frustration. They were so different. If it were her, she would have called the authorities and let them handle everything. Her first priority would have been getting Victoire help, and then getting revenge.

"_Do you hear yourself_?" Luke said in a low growl. "When I found her, she was only half-consious. She didn't even have the strength to fight him off. And he was on top of her, _laughing_. Like he was enjoying himself. I wanted to kill him."

Grace ignored the lump growing in the back of her throat as she came forward, placing her hands on Luke's shoulders. "Luke, I can't see her go through anymore pain. Not after everything she was put through last year."

Her voice came out as barely a whisper, and there was a look on her face that Luke knew she rarely let anybody see. He knew how much she loved Victoire, despite what she said. And he knew it was rare for her to let anybody see how hurt and scared she was. That's why he didn't even hesitate to reach out for her, wrapping his arms around her tiny waist. "I'm sorry," he said quietly, standing up.

As he stood up from the bed, Grace let herself fall into him, burying her head in his chest. He held her tightly, murmuring soft words of comfort. She didn't know how long she stood there, wrapped in Luke's strong arms, the tears streaming down her face. This was what she had always wanted, and sometimes, she wondered if Luke wanted the same thing as her. He acted differently around her. He wasn't cold or sarcastic or rude. He was gentle and kind, and he did things like hold her and comfort her. He acted like he cared about her, like he wanted a real relationship.

But then he would do things like go out with Grayson, get wasted, and snog random girls. Of course, he would never tell her about his little rendezvouses, but it didn't take a genius to figure out what a bad influence Grayson was.

And as much as she wanted him, she knew he was a bad idea. Unlike Collin, Luke wasn't reliable and easy to figure out. She knew that being with him would be unpredictable and it would take work, and she ran the risk of getting hurt. But sometimes, in moments like these, it didn't matter to her. She was willing to risk it.

But the question still stood: was Luke? Was he willing to risk it? Was he willing to give up his easy life of parties and meaningless sex for her? Probably not.

Grace felt Luke's hold on her slacken. "Gracie," he asked slowly, "why do you have so many flowers in your room?"

Blushing, Grace pulled away from him. "They're peonies," she told him.

"Uh huh." He looked around her room, noticing that every flat surface seemed to be covered in vase after vase of peonies. "Was there a sale or something?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. They're from...Collin," she added quietly.

He turned to stare at her. "You're prick ex-boyfriend that wants you back?"

"That's the one."

"Why is he sending you flowers?" Luke saw the pile of chocolate boxes on her dresser. "And chocolates?"

"Because chocolates are my favorite candy."

"Grace."

She sighed. "When I was younger, my dad would bring my mum peonies every Friday after work. I once told Collin how romantic I thought that was, and so he used to buy peonies every weekend and give them to me. These," she motioned to all the vases in her room, "are to make up for the Fridays he missed while we were broken up."

Luke snorted. "That's his idea of winning you back? Flowers and chocolates? No wonder you didn't take him back."

Grace glared at him. "I think it's sweet."

Luke's smile instantly faded. "You're not actually falling for this, are you? Not after everything that ruddy bloke put you through this summer."

Grace crossed her arms. "No, of course not. I just appreciate a romantic gesture every now and then. Especially since I haven't been getting any this summer."

Luke looked offended. "Are you saying I'm not romantic?"

Grace stared at him. "You sound like a jealous boyfriend," she said, a pleased smile on her face.

He scoffed. "You wish."

"No, I think _you _wish. You're actually worried I might go back to him, aren't you?"

"No, I _know _you won't go back to him."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because you've been with me."

"You're so full of it!"

"Come on, Gracie, be honest. You'd be bored as hell with him now that you've been with me."

Grace stared at him in disbelief. "What scares me is that you're actually serious."

Luke grinned. "You're not denying it."

"I'm not going back to Collin because he was a prat that treated me like rubbish," she clarified. "It has nothing to do with you."

He shook his head, not believing her. "I'm not buying it."

She smirked. "And I'm not buying that you're not jealous."

"Grace," he said seriously, motioning to her old, over-sized t-shirt, "jealous of _that_?"

She smacked him. "Arse! Let's not forget that you're the one that came here."

"How was I supposed to know you'd be dressed like that?"

"You could've left," she countered. "But you didn't. And you wanna know why? Because, _I'm _the best _you've _had. Face it, Luke, you're the one that would be bored without me. You could've been with any other girl tonight, but you chose to come here!"

"Well, yeah, because of Victoire."

"What about last night? And the night before that? And the night before that?" she said with a smirk.

Luke shrugged. "Well, somebody needs to help you practice."

"Practice?"

"Yeah, I mean, I give you about a seven right now, which is much better than you're original four."

"You're saying that I'm only a seven," she spluttered.

He sighed dramatically. "And it's all thanks to me."

She glared at him. "Oh, I am so much better than a _seven _and you know it."

He patted her head. "That's the attitude. There's always room for improvement."

"Oh, shut it!" she snapped, launching herself at him. Luke who had been leaning casually against the wall, an arrogant smirk on his face, was completely taken aback. Grace had kissed him before, but never with this much intensity or passion. She had never pressed her body so closely to him or gripped him so tightly before.

His arms took hold of her as his hands gripped her arse to press her even closer to him. He kissed her hungrily, his hands on her shirt, sliding it up her body. They broke apart for a second as she took a moment to toss off her shirt before slamming her lips back up against his. In the heat of everything, he had somehow managed to pin her up against the wall. She kissed him heatedly, her hands fumbling with the zipper on his jeans. They broke apart again as Luke took a moment to throw off his shirt and pants before pressing his lips against hers again.

He fingered her lacy bra before unhooking it and flinging it across the room. His lips traveled down her jawline, his hands on her perky breasts. "That's quite some enthusiasm," Grace gasped, "for a mere seven."

Luke stopped, grinning at her. "I told you, you need practice."

Rolling her eyes, Grace pulled him into her. He responded by hoisting her up, and Grace wrapped her legs around him, kissing him feverishly.

* * *

What always confused Grace was that Luke always stuck around. Before him, Grace was a virgin, so her experience was limited, but the concept of leaving after casual sex was something she had always been lead to believe because of books and movies. Except, Luke never left. He stayed there with her, _cuddling_. Now, even with Collin, Grace had never been much of a cuddler. With Luke, on the other hand, she found herself leaning into him as he wrapped his muscular arms around her. She felt safe.

"Was that still a seven?" she asked, her fingers tracing his abs.

He laughed. "Depends on which answer gets you to attack me like that again."

She smiled, reaching up to give him a soft kiss. "I'll take that as a no."

They were quiet for a while as Luke played with her hair, his mind seeming elsewhere. "What are you thinking about?" Grace asked him.

He sighed. "Vic. She seemed so _helpless_ tonight."

Grace sighed. "Yeah...it's weird, isn't it? She and Skye were always getting themselves into trouble, but they never really needed help, you know? I mean, sure, Teddy was always covering for her and worrying about her, but Vic never really needed it. She could take care of herself. In fact, she was usually the one protecting _me._"

"But not anymore?"

"Ever since what happened with Chris...she seems so _fragile_. Like anything could break her."

"Maybe now it's your turn to take care of her," Luke said quietly.

Grace sighed, pulling away from him. "You think I should go, don't you?"

Luke shrugged, pulling the covers comfortably around him. "I'll be right here when you get back," he told her, yawning.

Grace stared at him. "You could go home, you know," she suggested.

"Your bed's more comfortable."

"But you live in a mansion," she stated dumbly. "Your bed is literally triple the size of mine."

He pointed to the door. "You're stalling."

Grumbling, Grace rolled out of bed. After she fumbled around her room, looking for her clothes, she finally turned back to Luke. He had been watching her, a sly grin plastered on his face. "What?" she asked, clasping her bra back on.

He sighed. "Nice view, that's all."

Rolling her eyes, Grace decided against her oversized t-shirt, and instead grabbed Luke's shirt and a pair of clean shorts. "That looks nice on you," he commented.

She glanced down at her outfit. "Thanks. I'll be right back, okay?"

He nodded. "Make sure she's okay."

Grace stared at him. "You really care about her, don't you?"

Luke raised his eyebrows. "Yes, well, friends generally have to like each other."

"I know. It's just surprising that's all."

"What is?"

"That you're not a complete arse."

* * *

Warm water against her forehead woke Victoire up. The potion Grayson had slipped in her drink had definitely worked. She could barely keep her eyes open and her vision was still blurry. Despite that, she could still make out Grace's concerned face peering down at her.

"What are you doing?" Victoire heard herself ask weakly.

"Cleaning you up before you drowned in your own puke," Grace replied, making a face. Victoire wrinkled her nose, getting a whiff of the smell. "Can't you stay out of trouble for more than a week?" Grace demanded, dabbing a wet towel against Victoire's forehead.

"Where's the fun in that?" Victoire asked, her words slightly slurred.

Grace stared at her. "Yes, because nearly getting raped really makes my weekends so much more enjoyable," she replied sarcastically.

"Makes for a good story," Victoire said, wincing as the pounding in her head returned.

Grace helped her to sit up. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing," Victoire lied, looking around the dark room. Grace had somehow changed her bed sheets and clothes, and a pile of dirty laundry that smelled like puke and alcohol was lying in the corner of the room. "Did Luke tell you?" she asked quietly.

Grace froze. "He thought you might need a friend."

"And his first option was you?"

Grace glared at her. "Well, could you really see him going to Teddy for help?"

Victoire was suddenly quiet. "Teddy..."

"Yes, remember him? Has a new face every month."

"He's going to be so mad..."

Grace pulled Victoire's hair back. "Can you blame him?"

"I guess not..."

"I'm going to get you some food," Grace told her, handing her a glass of water. "Here, drink this. I'm sure all that throwing up has got you dehydrated."

Victoire took the glass, and Grace headed toward the door. "Gracie," Victoire said quietly, "thanks."

Grace stood with her hand on the doorknob for several seconds. "This doesn't mean I forgive you, you know," she said, her back to Victoire.

Victoire nodded. "I know," she replied, setting down the water on her bedside table as she fought to keep her eyes open any longer. She could finally relax. Despite everything that had happened to her that night, she felt safe with Grace there. In a few hours, it would be morning, and she would be safe, the tears and horrors of the night before forgotten.


	16. Trip

_What are you doing to me?_  
_I'm so into you_  
_And the hardest part is knowing_  
_That I'll never follow through_  
_You're slowly killing me_  
_And I wish it wasn't true_  
_Cause I'm so into you_

**_-Hedley_**

* * *

There was something comforting about the Burrow. Victoire remembered coming there when she was younger, when it was just her and Teddy. They would spend all day running around outside, chasing the gnomes, and helping Grandma Weasley bake cookies. It seemed like a lifetime ago when Teddy was the one person in the world she cared the most about. Even after they met Chris, it was always just her and Teddy at the Burrow.

Victoire liked to come back to the Burrow sometimes. It was strange watching all her younger cousins run around like she and Teddy did when they were that age. It was almost sad remembering how things were so much simpler back then. Never, when she was little, did she ever imagine her life would turn out like this. She wished she could turn back time, to warn her younger self about what would happen to Chris or to tell herself to stay away from Grayson.

But it was too late for that. Instead, Vic found herself sitting in the Burrow's backyard, watching two gnomes fight. Inside, she could hear Grandma Weasley yelling at Fred and James, and it brought a small smile to her face as she wondered what they had done this time. Sighing, she sat back against the wall, listening as they apologized and the other little kids cackled with amusement.

* * *

Teddy poked his head inside the kitchen. "Hello?" he called, seeing the crowded kitchen. Grandma Weasley was standing at the head of the table, waving her wand as all the plates filled with food. All her grandchildren were chattering happily, laughing and throwing food at one another when she wasn't looking. Teddy cleared his throat, grinning down at his second family.

"Teddy!" Grandma Weasley exclaimed, rushing around the table to give him a big hug. All the other kids hopped out of their seats, running to throw their arms around Teddy. "What are you doing here?" she asked after ordering all the kids to finish their lunch.

"I came to see Vic," he replied, running his fingers through his hair nervously.

"Oh, how'd you know she was here?"

Teddy shrugged. "She always comes here when she's upset."

Grandma Weasley looked troubled. "Yes, she does, doesn't she. Teddy, dear, what happened?"

Teddy thought of Grayson and it took all his strength to keep his face composed and free of all anger. "No idea."

She didn't look like she believed him. "Well, she's in the backyard. Tell her to come in, please. Before the food gets cold."

"Will do," he replied, grabbing a scone on his way out.

When Teddy saw her, he felt like turning back around and finding Grayson. She was sitting against the wall, her hands wrapped around her knees. Her hair was pulled up and her make-up free face looked red and blotchy like she'd been crying. When she noticed Teddy watching her, she stood up, a weary look crossing her face. He came forward, standing right in front of her, studying every inch of her face swollen and puffy face. It amazed him that she still looked as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, despite her red and blotchy face.

"Grace told you," she guessed.

Teddy nodded. "Yep."

"You beat up Grayson?"

"Uh huh."

He waited for her to yell, to tell him that she could take care of herself, to tell him to go away. Much to his surprise, though, she just sighed. "Okay," was the only thing she said.

"You wanna talk about it?" he asked.

"Nope." Victoire stared at him for a moment before launching herself at him. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest, her wet tears staining his thin t-shirt. Teddy was taken aback by her sudden embrace, but he didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around her, hugging her so tightly almost like he never wanted to let her go. "I just need a hug," she whimpered.

He pulled away from her, cupping her face in his hands. "I'm so sorry this happened to you, Vic."

She nodded, her eyes watering up. "Me too." He pulled her close to him again, kissing the top of her head gently. Victoire fell into him, clutching him tightly, sobbing into his chest.

* * *

After several minutes, Teddy managed to convince Victoire to go back inside. Beforehand, though, he had gone in the kitchen and warned everybody to ignore her red, puffy face. Dominique looked like she wanted to protest, but one look from Teddy silenced her instantly. Victoire trudged in a few minutes later, her head held high, despite her tearstained face. Grandma Weasley jumped out of her seat, ushering Victoire into the nearest chair, piling her plate with various foods.

"Thanks for the lunch, Grandma," Victoire said, ignoring as all of her younger cousins ogled at her. Teddy threw them a dirty look and they all began talking at once. Rolling his eyes, he turned to Vic. "So, about what happened-"

"What happened?" Hugo asked eagerly.

"Nothing," Victoire and Teddy said at the same time. They shook their heads, annoyed.

"Well, _something _happened," Rose said matter-of-factly. "Why else would Victoire be so upset?"

"Rose!" Grandma Weasley snapped, silencing her.

James, whose mouth was still full, swallowed everything all at once. "Was it because Teddy beat up Grayson?"

"I told you he was listening," Victoire said to Teddy.

He shrugged. "It's not like I killed the bloke."

"Teddy!" Grandma Weasley exclaimed, looking horrified. "Why would you do such a thing?"

"He was asking for it," Victoire replied.

"What did he do?" Lily asked, her startling green eyes going wide.

"None of your business," Victoire said simply, pinching Teddy, warning him not to tell anybody. She wasn't ready to tell her family yet. Not after everything she had already put them through. Besides, she was too humiliated and disgusted to tell her parents. What would they say if they found out?

Grandma Weasley shook her head. "Teddy, do you know how much trouble you could get into for that?"

Victoire grinned, turning to Teddy. "Did he cry?"

"Like a baby."

Victoire giggled, high-fiving him. "I wish I could've seen it."

Dominique stared at the two of them. "You two have a weird relationship."

Grandma Weasley still looked concerned. "Teddy, does Andromeda know about this?"

"Nope."

"Teddy," she sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're supposed to be the good one."

"Don't worry," he assured her, "Grayson won't tell anybody. He'll want to get even with me on his own terms."

"So, he's going to kick your arse?" Fred asked.

Teddy grinned. "He's gonna _try_."

Victoire shook her head. "She's got a point you know," she said quietly so that only Teddy could hear. "He's gonna come after you..."

"Me and Finn have got that covered," he told her, squeezing her leg comfortingly.

She didn't look convinced, but seeing as all her younger cousins were listening, she let it go for the time being. "Fine."

"So," Roxanne asked, eyeing Teddy and Victoire knowingly, "are you two finally a couple now?"

Victoire snorted. "Yeah, maybe when pigs fly."

Fred perked up. "I can make that happen!"

James nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, Dad showed us! Remember, Al?"

"We just need a wand..." Albus replied, looking around.

Grandma Weasley glared at all of them. "No magic. You're all underage, remember?"

Victoire and Teddy exchanged grins. He leaned over to her. "Fancy a game of Quidditch? It'll make you feel loads better."

"Teddy," Victoire said, "Quidditch can't always fix everything."

Teddy looked horrified. "It sounds to me like you're doubting the powers of Quidditch."

"Honestly, you're obsession with this game is getting a little out of hand."

"You're just saying that because you know I'll win."

She scoffed. "Teddy, when have you _ever_ beaten me?"

"Hey! I let you win!"

Victoire raised her eyebrows. "Every single time?"

"Every single time."

She stood up abruptly, glaring at him. "Fine. Let's play for real this time."

"You're on, Weasley," Teddy growled, following her outside.

* * *

Victoire hovered over the ground wearily, watching Teddy do his victory lap. His hair kept shifting colors as he zoomed past her, sticking his tongue out whenever he passed her. As much as she wanted to hex his annoying arse, Victoire couldn't help but laugh. She'd forgotten how easy it was to be with Teddy.

"You got lucky," she told him once he finally came down.

"That wasn't luck, Vic. That was talent."

"How do you know I didn't let _you _win?" she challenged.

He snorted. "Because you're not that nice."

She couldn't argue with that. "Good point."

He laughed, throwing his broomstick over his shoulder. "So, me and Finn are going to Skylar's tonight. You coming?"

Victoire shook her head. "Nah...I think Luke said something about having dinner at his house."

"Lucas Bishop?"

"That's the one."

"You're still friends with that prat?"

"Yes."

"Despite the fact that his best friend nearly raped you?"

"They're not friends anymore! Once Luke found out what Grayson did, he cut him off completely."

Teddy let out a hollow laugh. "Oh, well, that makes it okay."

"Teddy, please. I didn't like Finn when I first met him, but I gave him a shot for you. Can't you do the same for me?"

"You didn't like Finn?"

"No."

"Why not?"

Victoire rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point. You need to be nicer to Luke."

"No, I don't. Okay, I never asked you to become buddy buddy with the enemy number one!"

"Stop calling him that!"

Teddy sighed. "I'm never gonna like that prick."

Victoire reached out, squeezing his hand. "I'm not asking you to."

"Then what are you asking?"

"To let me like him. Let me be friends with whoever I want."

Sighing, Teddy placed his hands on Victoire's waist. "Fine," he grumbled.

Victoire held her breath, realizing how close Teddy had gotten to her. "Teddy," she breathed.

He leaned down, gently kissing her cheek. "I'll see you later, Vic," he said in a low voice, giving her a crooked smile.

Victoire blinked, watching as he turned around, making his way over the hill and disappearing with a crack. "Bugger," Victoire groaned, her cheeks burning.

"Vic, your friend's here!" Grandma Weasley called.

Victoire stayed rooted in the same spot, staring in the direction Teddy had disappeared. She hardly even noticed Luke behind her.

"What are we watching?" he asked her.

She sighed. "I am so screwed."

He frowned. "Why?"

She reached up, touching the spot on her cheek where Teddy had just kissed her. "I just realized that no matter how much time passes, some things never change."


	17. Falling In Love At A Coffee Shop

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you_  
_Yes there's a chance that I've fallen quite hard over you._  
_I've seen the paths that your eyes wander down_  
_I want to come too_

_I think that possibly, maybe I'm falling for you_

_No one understands me quite like you do_  
_Through all of the shadowy corners of me_

**_-Landon Pigg_**

* * *

Victoire stared at the clock. "Ten minutes," she muttered.

Bill placed a hand on her shoulders. "Nervous?" he asked.

She thought of the past summer. A few months ago, Bill would have had to drag her to Platform 9 3/4. He would have had to force her onto the train. But for some reason, as she stood in front of the crowded red train with flustered mothers ushering their children inside, Victoire didn't feel angry or nervous. Instead, there was a jittering new excitement about her.

Hogwarts had been her home for three years. It contained memories and people that she could never have or recreate at Beauxbaton. Under the big oak tree beside the lake was where she had gotten her first kiss. Inside the common room dawned with red and gold banners and decorations was where she'd spent her lazy Sunday afternoons with Chris. Inside Hagrid's hut was where she and Teddy would have lunch every Saturday for three years. Inside the Great Hall was where she had dined every night with Skylar and Grace.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad to go back to that. Maybe it was time she could go back to Hogwarts, free of all the pain and heart ache from the past. Maybe if she focused on the good times instead of the bad times, it wouldn't be so bad.

"I'm not nervous," she finally replied, turning to face her dad.

He smiled. "No?"

Victoire bit her lip. "Just remember to arrive early at Beauxbaton. Dominique will have a fit if she- "

Bill put his hands up, silencing his eldest daughter. "I know. We've been over this a hundred times. Dominique and Louis will be fine. You know, you don't need to protect them _all _the time."

Victoire looked around anxiously. She had said goodbye to her mother and siblings back at Shell Cottage, but as the warning whistle rang through the air and students scurried to get back on the train, Victoire suddenly felt empty without Dominique and Louis standing beside her, talking nonstop to the point where she wanted to hit them or battering her with endless questions.

"You should go," Bill told her, nodding toward the train.

She took a deep breath, grabbing her trunk. "Here goes nothing."

He smiled, leaning in to gently kiss her forehead. "You'll be fine."

Victoire, remembering the confidence her mother had drilled into her head at a young age, gave her dad a confident smile. "I know," she said, flipping her head back.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Good luck."

"Thanks." Victoire was about to turn around and leave, when she stopped, looking at her dad. Without thinking about it, she threw her arms around him. "I love you, Daddy."

Bill seemed taken aback by her sudden display of affection. Victoire was never one for showing emotions. "I love you too," he said quietly, hugging her tightly.

Just as quickly as she had thrown her arms around him, she had pulled away. "See you at Christmas, Dad," she said.

Bill watched his daughter climb on to the train gracefully, her silvery blonde hair swishing behind her. It was uncanny how much she resembled her mother sometimes.

* * *

"Here, I'll help you with that."

Victoire turned around just in time to see Teddy grab her trunk. His light brown hair was shaggier than usual today and there was a half smile on his face as he looked at her.

"You need a haircut," was all she said as she handed him her bags.

Rolling his eyes, Teddy forced his hair to grow shorter. "Saved my grandma loads of money on haircuts when I was little," he said, pointing to his new short hairdo.

"Show off," Victoire muttered, shaking her head.

The two of them trudged down the narrow hallways of the train just as it took off. Outside, parents and younger siblings were crowded on the platform, waving as their children took off.

"In here," Teddy instructed her, opening the door to a crowded compartment.

Victoire glanced inside. All of her old friends were gathered inside, each of them talking over the other. When they say Teddy and Victoire, they cheered, ushering the two of them inside.

"Vic!" Sienna Ellis cried. "Teddy! Come in!"

Victoire glanced back. She saw Luke inside the compartment opposite them. He was by himself, waving his wand around aimlessly, watching as it shot out small lights and fireworks. "Erm..okay..." she muttered, making her way inside. She found herself between Skylar and a seventh year whose name she couldn't remember.

Skylar beamed. She grabbed hers and Grace's hands. "Isn't this great? The three of us going back to Hogwarts again? Just like old times!"

Grace, who'd been busy reading a rather thick book, glanced up. Victoire could have sworn she almost saw Grace smile at her before going back to her reading. Teddy, after finally managing to put their trunks away, squeezed himself between Skylar and Victoire. Out of the corner of her eye, Victoire watched as Skylar leaned into him, gently resting her head on his shoulder.

"So, Vic, how was your summer?" Sienna asked, crossing her legs.

Victoire was about to respond, when the compartment doors slid open again. Collin walked in, wearing a suit, carrying a handsome bouquet of peonies. Everybody in the compartment stopped talking, Sienna 'aw'ed and a few other blokes snickered. Collin made a beeline toward Grace, who was still too preoccupied with her book to notice the sudden quiet in their compartment. Collin got down on one knee, clearing his throat. Grace managed to draw her eyes away from her novel, and looked up to find Collin right in front of her.

Her eyes widened slightly as she said, "Collin.."

Collin shushed her. "I told you I wasn't giving up on you, Gracie, and-"

Victoire tuned Collin out, instead focusing on the guy in the compartment across from them who was watching the whole thing. Luke had his eyes glued to Grace, his mouth slightly hung open.

Grace, on the other hand, was too stunned to say anything. Her face was flaming red, but somehow, instead of Collin's sincere smile or the beautiful flowers in his hands, her eyes couldn't help but travel towards Luke. She didn't know what to do, how to communicate to Luke that it wasn't Collin that she'd been thinking about all day, but him.

Collin reached out, holding Grace's hand. "You were made a prefect, right?" he asked.

Grace nodded. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Come to the prefect's office tonight. I have a surprise for you there."

Victoire and Skylar exchanged looks.

"I don't know, Collin," Grace said, shaking her head. "I don't think that's a good idea."

Collin squeezed her hand. "You don't have to come if you don't want, but I'll be there all night waiting."

Grace didn't know what to say as he handed her the bouquet of flowers and left the compartment.

"Aww, that was _so sweet_!" Sienna gushed, squealing.

Finn snorted. "Gracie, you're not actually planning on going tonight, are you?"

"Why wouldn't she?" Sienna demanded, glaring at Finn. "If only other people were that romantic."

Finn grinned. "You're saying I'm not romantic?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying actually," she quipped.

Victoire looked to Skylar for an explanation. "They've been hooking up for a few months," Skylar explained to her in an undertone.

Teddy leaned in. "Didn't you miss this?" he asked, grinning as Sienna and Finn started arguing.

Victoire looked to Luke, who was staring at Grace longingly. "You know, I think I'll go say hi to Luke. It's a little crowded in here anyway."

Teddy stared at her. "Luke," he repeated blankly.

Victoire crossed her arms, raising her eyebrows. "You don't have a problem with that, do you?"

Teddy swallowed hard, looking pained. "Why would I have a problem with my best friend hanging with a mad, raving lunatic."

"Teddy," Skylar said sharply.

"I mean, of course it's okay if you leave, Victoire. I support all of your friendships and trust you to make good judgements. Even though you did get yourself drugged and almost raped," he added bitterly.

Victoire glared at him. "I'll give you credit for trying," she said as she stood up.

"Vic, where are you going?" Finn demanded, turning away from Sienna.

"To see Luke," Teddy told him, not even attempting to hide his disgust.

Finn stared at her. "Traitor."

"Godric, I miss Beauxbaton," she muttered, shaking her head.

Grace looked at Victoire. "I think you should go. He looks lonely."

"So?" Finn exclaimed, looking outraged. "Have we forgotten what a dickhead that guy is?"

"Kinda like you?" Sienna grumbled.

Victoire snorted. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

Luke tossed Victoire a chocolate frog. "So, how much do they hate me?" he asked.

"They don't _hate _you."

"Vic," he said seriously.

"I'm pretty sure they have dreams about pushing you off cliffs and running you over with Grandpa Weasley's car."

"Lovely."

Victoire rested her feet on Luke's lap and sat back against the seat. "It's so nice to be able to stretch out."

Luke nodded. "Your compartment _is _very full."

They both glanced to the side. Grace had gone back to her book. Skylar and Finn, as usual, were arguing, both of them red-faced and in each other's faces. A few seventh year blokes were laughing, throwing food at each other. Sienna was talking energetically, apparently in the midst of a story. Teddy was sitting beside Skylar, but he was staring at Victoire accusingly.

"Did I look like that too?" Luke answered, motioning to Teddy.

"You were worse."

Laughing, he waved his wand and closed the curtains. "I can't stand to see Grace holding that git's flowers any longer."

"Why don't you just ask her out for real?"

"Not this again."

"Luke, I'm serious. You need to tell her how you feel."

"Why?"

Victoire crossed her arms. "Because if you don't try, then eventually Collin will win. And if it's not Collin, than it'll be some other guy. Either way, you lose."

"She doesn't feel the same way," he told her.

"Then she's an idiot."

Luke smiled. "No, she's not. She's brilliant."

"So are you," Victoire assured him. "And Grace knows that. Trust me, she was _not _interested in what Collin had to say. The whole time she was looking over at you!"

Luke thought of Grace. The last time he'd seen her was last night. She'd been worried about leaving Henry alone with her parents. It was strange because they didn't have sex or snog or anything. Instead, he just held her and listened as she expressed her worries about her parents. And the strangest part was that he actually enjoyed himself. Of course, he didn't like to see Grace upset, but it was nice to just talk for once. It was something he'd never done before.

"You gonna finish those?" Victoire asked, jabbing him with her toe.

He smacked her feet away. "I think you're right, Vic," he said as she sat up.

"Of course I am."

"I'm going to tell Grace how I feel."

He expected Victoire to squeal or giggle in delight. Any other girl would. Instead, she just shrugged like she'd been expecting him to give in eventually. "Good," was all she said.


	18. You Don't Belong

_No, you don't belong to me, I think you lied to me_  
_And with my back against this wall, it's hard to be strong_  
_No, you'd tell me anything, look what you've done to me_

**_-Daughtry_**

* * *

Skylar leaned back against her seat as she watched Teddy sleep. His head was resting gently on her lap, his soft snores barely audible over the buzz of excited chatter that had been ignited when the conductor informed them that Hogsmeade was less than an hour away. Finn and the others had wandered off, visiting other compartments, chasing each other down the hallways. If she listened carefully, Skylar could distinctly make out Finn's obnoxious laugh from the other side of the train. Grace, who had grown wearisome of all the talk of Quidditch and parties, had been glued to her books since the train departed. Teddy, who could sleep under any conditions thrown at him, had dozed off.

Skylar was bored of all the silence, but she thought it was better than having Teddy glare at Victoire and Luke from across the compartment. In complete honesty, she was starting to get annoyed with Finn and Teddy's immaturity. Their rivalry with Luke had gone on long enough. It was time they put aside their silly little competition, especially if it was getting in the way of their friendships. Skylar could see the strain it was causing on Victoire to constantly have to be choosing between the two boys, and in complete honesty, it was starting to make Skylar doubt Teddy's real feelings for Vic. Victoire's strange new friendship with Luke had triggered something in Teddy, and Skylar would be lying if she said that didn't make her a little jealous.

However, watching Teddy's peaceful smile as he slept in her arms, she pushed the feeling aside. Teddy had picked her. _She _was the one he had pursued for months, finally kissing her in the pumpkin patch after they won the Quidditch Cup last year. Not Victoire. Victoire had been miles away, hidden behind the doors of Beauxbaton, snogging and partying with a whole different set of people. She had been leading a completely separate life, away from everyone at Hogwarts.

"You should probably wake him up," Grace said, setting her book aside, a small yawn escaping her tiny mouth. "We're gonna be there in less than thirty minutes."

Skylar looked down, gently shaking Teddy until his eyes slowly opened. "What?" he said grumpily.

"We're going to be arriving soon. You should probably get dressed." Skylar told him gently.

Yawning and still half asleep, Teddy sat up. "Where is everybody?" he asked. "When did you get changed?" he demanded, eyeing her Hogwarts robes.

"A while ago," she replied, "and Finn and your other idiot friends are the prats outside making all that noise."

Teddy smiled. "Where's Vic?" he asked, looking around.

"With Luke," Grace told him, watching his expression carefully.

Teddy's smile hardened. "She's still not back yet?" He stood up, going over to the compartment door and staring at the curtained door across from them. "What do you reckon they're doing in there?"

Grace rolled her eyes. "Does it matter?

"I don't like that guy," was all Teddy said.

Annoyed, Skylar cleared her throat and crossed her arms. "You should go get dressed."

Teddy glanced at her, an apologetic smile already on his face. "Sky-"

She held her hand up. "You promised you would be nice to him."

"I am nice!"

"I'm serious, Teddy. I'm sick of this stupid feud between the two of you."

Teddy was about to respond, when the compartment doors flew open. Finn, with a wild look on his face, hurtled a water ballon right at Teddy's face, where it exploded, spraying water all over him. For a minute, all of them stood frozen, shocked at what had just happened. Skylar blinked as Teddy's soaked t-shirt began dripping onto the floor. Finn and Teddy stared at each other, blank looks on their faces. Finally, Teddy balled his fists. "_You're dead_," he hissed before taking off after Finn, who was already sprinting down the narrow aisle.

"Boys," Grace muttered disapprovingly, shaking her head.

Skylar sighed, exasperated. "And I'll reckon he'll come back still not wearing his uniform."

"What just happened in here?" Sienna asked, standing in the doorway, staring at the small pool of water on the floor.

"Finn," Skylar replied as an explanation.

She nodded. "Ah."

Skylar sat up, an eager smile on her face. "So...now that we're alone...what's the deal with you and Finn?"

"Skylar!" Grace exclaimed, throwing her a look of warning. "That's none of your business!"

Sienna sat down opposite them. "Nothing's going on," she replied, shrugging.

Skylar raised her eyebrows. "Really?" she asked, not believing her.

"Well, I mean, we're fucking, but that's really it."

Grace coughed, looking extremely uncomfortable. "That's it?" she repeated weakly.

Skylar shook her head, sighing. "You can do so much better."

Sienna frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, don't you want somebody that will make a commitment to you? Someone that doesn't just use you for sex!"

Sienna looked down at her feet. "It's not like that with me and Finley."

"Well, that's just dumb."

Grace, who had frozen, blinked several times. "Maybe she likes their arrangement," she said quietly.

"Why would anybody like that arrangement? Honestly, have a little self-respect! That bloke is obviously a bloody wanker, who's just using you because he knows you're that easy."

"Maybe she'll be the one to change him," Grace offered quietly.

Skylar snorted. "Please. If a girl has not changed him yet, what makes her think she will be the one to do it?"

"Maybe she's special," Grace replied, staring ahead, keeping her eyes at the closed compartment door across the aisle.

Skylar glared at Grace. "Are you honestly saying Sienna should continue this relationship with Finn?"

Grace tore her gaze away from the door. She looked at Skylar. "I'm saying maybe she's the exception...maybe she'll be the one to change him..."

Skylar shook her head in exasperation. She turned to Sienna. "I'm just saying that you deserve somebody who will respect you and care about you. I got lucky with Teddy. He's everything a girl could ask for. And he's all mine. I don't have to share him with some other girl. And you shouldn't have to share Finn if you don't want. If he's not willing to commit to you, then I think it's time you move on. Find a bloke that will treat you right. Even that idiot Collin realized Grace was the best thing that ever happened to him. If Finn doesn't realize that soon about you, I think you should start seeing somebody else."

Sienna stared at Skylar. "You really think so?"

"Yes," she said with certainty, gazing at the compartment across from them, "because Teddy puts me before anyone else." She watched Victoire tilt her head back, laughing. "At least he used to," she muttered to herself, tearing her eyes away from her best friend.

After a few minutes, Finn and Teddy finally returned. Both of them were soaking wet with stupid grins plastered on their faces. Following them were a line of burly seventh year boys that usually hung around them during school, usually throwing quaffles down the hallways and generally annoying the rest of the school. Grace truly didn't understand why Finn and Teddy were so popular. Sure, they were nice guys and she'd have to be blind not to see that they were gorgeous blokes; but they were so damn annoying. She'd never met a pair of people that were so loud and obnoxious as the two of them.

Their compartment filled up once again, and Grace found herself yearning to follow Victoire into Luke's quiet compartment. She'd been watching the two of them hold an earnest conversation for the past ten minutes, their faces serious and intense. It made her wonder what they could possibly be discussing.

For some reason, Grace couldn't brush off what Skylar had said. She was right, of course. No girl should have to settle for what Luke was giving her. As far as she knew, he could be shagging random girls every night that he wasn't with her. He could be holding some other girl, telling her how special she was.

She shook off those thoughts. They made her feel sick. It couldn't be true. Luke was different around her. He was kinder, more thoughtful, more sensitive...At least, she thought he was. What if it was all just an act? What if he didn't care about her at all? What if he would never come to care about her like Collin did?

She glanced down at the bouquet of flowers in her hands. He'd taken his time to pick out her favorite flowers, and he'd even written her a card! He'd embarrassed himself in front of all their friends, and humiliated himself in his pursuit for her.

Luke had never done anything like that for her. And she doubted he ever would.

"What's the matter, Gracie?" Skylar asked quietly, ignoring as Teddy shook his head, splashing water all around the compartment.

"I'm just thinking about Collin," she replied with a sigh.

Skylar bit her lip. "Do you still have feelings for him?"

Grace shrugged. "He was my first love. I'll always love him. I don't think that will ever change."

"So, you miss him?"

"I don't know if I miss _him_. I miss all the little things he used to do like bring me flowers and hold my hand and walk me to class...I miss being in a relationship."

Skylar glared at Teddy, who was now digging through his trunk, looking for his school robes to change into. He kept tossing out random articles of clothing, stopping every so often to sniff a wrinkly t-shirt. "You know, having a boyfriend is not all what it's cracked up to be," Skylar told her.

Teddy tossed a pair of clean socks at her. "I heard that."

Grace considered this. "I don't know...I think Collin's really trying this time..."

Skylar sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Maybe. I just don't want you getting hurt again."

As she said that, the compartment doors slid open, and Victoire appeared, looking as flawless as ever. She stopped in the doorway, staring at Teddy. "Why are you wet?" she asked.

"Because he's a moron," Skylar grumbled.

Victoire shrugged. "Can't argue with you there," she said. "I just came to grab my trunk before we arrive."

Grace watched as she gracefully leaned over Teddy, pulling her heavy suitcase down. Luke was hovering behind her awkwardly, avoiding any eye contact with anybody else in the compartment. He gave Grace a small smirk, but she couldn't return his smile no matter how much she tried. She kept thinking back, all those weeks ago, when she'd caught him in bed with that blonde twat. Back when it happened, she'd ignored it, pretending it hadn't bothered her, but she couldn't keep lying to herself.

Luke was never going to change for her. It just wasn't who he was. He didn't want to be tied down, to be stuck in the same boring, monotonous relationship. But Grace did. She missed having a boyfriend and being able to tell her friends about the bloke she liked.

Maybe this was sign. Maybe it was better for Grace to get out now, before she got hurt for real. Maybe it was time she found somebody like Collin, who was willing to commit, who wanted her and only her.

"Why don't you stay here?" Teddy asked coolly.

Victoire glanced at him. "And ditch Luke?"

"Luke could stay," Skylar offered boldly, ignoring the hisses coming from Finn.

Victoire raised her eyebrows. "Skye-"

Skylar looked at Teddy. "It wouldn't be a problem, would it Teddy?"

"Yes, it would!" Finn protested incredulously.

Victoire and Skylar stared at Teddy expectantly, waiting for his response, testing him. When he didn't respond, Victoire rolled her eyes. "I'll see you guys later," she said, turning around. Luke, who was standing awkwardly in the doorway, gave Grace one last look before leading Victoire out.

Skylar stared down at her hands sadly. "You couldn't have let him stay?" she asked quietly.

Finn glared at Teddy. "How many times have I told you dating this girl was a bad idea? She just tried bringing the enemy into our territory!"

"Finn, shut up," Teddy snapped. He turned to Skylar. "Since when are you buddy buddy with Bishop anyway?" he demanded.

"Since when are you so jealous of him that you can't even stand the sight of him and Vic together?" she countered frostily.

"Oh, boy," Grace said under her breath.

"Skylar, Teddy wasn't jealous-" Sienna began.

"Yes, he was. Look, I don't know if it's because you still have feelings for Vic or if it's because she's replaced you with Luke as her best friend, but I've had enough, Teddy. It's time you figured out what your feelings are, because I am not going to stick around to participate in your little soap opera!" Skylar glared at her stunned looking boyfriend. "Well," she demanded, "are you going to say anything?"

Teddy looked at her. "What the hell is a soap opera?"

"Teddy!"

He sighed. "I've never liked Lucas. Why is this a problem all of the sudden?"

Skylar glared at him. "You know it's more than that."

Teddy made his way to her, cupping her face into his hands. "No, I don't."

Sighing, she closed her eyes. "Fine."

Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Are we good?"

Skylar pulled away from him. "You promise you'll be nicer to Luke?"

"You've got to be kidding me."

"I'm serious, Teddy. The only thing you're accomplishing by being a prick is driving Victoire away."

"She's right, you know," Grace told him.

Annoyed, Teddy resigned. "Fine. I'll be nice to Lucas."

"Traitor," Finn growled. Sienna elbowed him.

* * *

Victoire pulled her trunk down the crowded aisle. "...so weird being back here and seeing everybody-"

"Did you notice Grace was acting weird?" Luke asked, looking troubled.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know..." He shrugged it off. "It was probably nothing."

Victoire turned, gazing at him intently. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, it's probably nothing."

Luke hopped off the train. Once he made sure their trunks were safely on the ground, he turned around to give Victoire a hand.

"Thanks," she said, taking his hand as she gracefully stepped down.

"Everybody's staring," he muttered, noticing the goggling groups of students that stopped and gawked at them as they tried to find an empty carriage to take them to the school.

Victoire, hardly bothered by all the attention, glanced around as if just noticing this. "Oh, yeah."

"Doesn't it bother you?" he asked, looking around uncomfortably.

She shrugged. "You get used to it."

"Because you're a veela?" Luke guessed.

Victoire seemed surprised by his assumption. "Oh, yeah, maybe. I always assumed it was because of my family."

"Oh, yeah," Luke said. "I forgot you were a Weasley."

Victoire pursed her lips, looking around for an open carriage. "Everywhere is full."

In the distance, Luke could make out Grace. She was climbing onto a carriage with Skylar, Luke, and Finn. As they rode off, Luke noticed Teddy kept glancing back at Victoire. Not that she noticed, of course. That girl could be so oblivious sometimes.

"Hey, Vic!" A burly bloke poked his head of a carriage passing by. "You two need a ride?"

Victoire's eyes widened. "Matty?" she gasped.

He grinned, hopping out of the carriage as it came to a stop. Luke watched as Victoire ran into his arms, laughing. "It's so good to see you!" she exclaimed. "Luke, this is Matt. He's a good friend of mine." Victoire explained.

Luke held his hand out. "Nice to meet you."

Matt shook it. "Yeah, you too." He turned back to Victoire. "I heard you were coming on the train."

She shrugged. "Yeah, I would have gone to see you, but-"

He took her trunk form her. "It's fine. We have a few more seats available. You two should come in. It'll be a while before another carriage opens up."

"Okay," Victoire agreed. She glanced back at Luke, who nodded.

"_Matty_?" he asked in an undertone as they stepped into the carriage.

"Shut up," she said, blushing. "He's an ex-boyfriend," she explained.

Inside the compartment, there was a gang of cheerful fifth years. Luke couldn't remember all their names, but he couldn't help but smile at the oggling girls imitating the way Victoire sat and held herself. Like he was beginning to notice, Victoire was hardly bothered by all the attention. In fact, she didn't even seem to notice it.

"So, are you two dating now?" Matt asked after his friends had introduced themselves.

"Godric no," Luke said, shaking his head. "She's all yours."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "We're just friends," she clarified.

Matt grinned at her. "You know, that's what _we_ used to tell people."

Luke noticed a small smile tugging at the corner of Victoire's lips. It was a smile that he'd only ever seen one person bring out in her, and that person was Teddy.

* * *

Teddy kept glancing back. He'd watched Victoire climb into a carriage with Luke and that Matt bloke she'd dated a few years back. For some reason, the sight of Victoire with her ex-boyfriend made him want to stop his carriage, march over to them, and punch Matt in the face.

But he couldn't do that without arousing suspicion from Skylar. She'd been a little sensitive lately, thinking that he had some sort of crush on Victoire. He hated that he had put those thoughts into her head, because Skylar truly did make him happy. She made him laugh, she was actually very sweet once you got to know her, and she helped him through all of last year. Despite the reputation she had at school, Skylar was a total softie. And he loved that about her.

Finn, noticing his anxiety, nudged him. "You okay?" he asked so that only Teddy could hear.

Teddy glanced at him, forcing a smile. "Yeah, of course."

"Bugger!" Grace suddenly cried. "Collin's waiting for me at the gates."

"Can't you just tell him to go suck it?" Finn asked, rolling his eyes. "Put the poor bloke out of his misery."

Grace bit her lower lip. "No...I can't do that..."

"Why not?" Teddy wanted to know.

Finn looked at her. "Is it because you want to be nice? Cause if that's the case, I can do it."

Grace shook her head. "No, that's not the problem."

"Then what is?" Skylar demanded, her eyes suddenly narrowing.

Grace took a deep breath. "I'm just...I'm not sure it's really over..."

"You can't be serious."

"He was my first love!" she cried, a dreamy expression on her face. "You know, despite everything he put me through, I still love him and I don't regret anything. I really loved him, and I know he loved me too."

"He broke up with you so he could screw other girls!" Skylar looked outraged. "Are you telling me you're seriously going to forgive him for that?"

Finn shook his head disapprovingly. "You know, that's why he broke up with you to begin with right? He knew he could go back to you whenever he wanted. He _knew _you would just take him back, because you're convinced that you actually love the bloke."

Grace blinked. She didn't say anything for a moment, and Teddy wondered if Finn had actually managed to talk some sense into her. Finally, she said, "You know, that's the same thing Luke told me at the beginning of summer..."

Finn made a disgusted noise. "_Luke_?"

"He made a good point, though," Skylar said, pursing her shiny red lips. "Grace, Finn and Luke, idiots they may be, are right. You can't go back to Collin. He knows how to play you, how to mess with your head. He's doing it right now!"

Grace considered this. Finally, she turned to Teddy. "What do you think?"

"Me?" he asked, surprised.

She shrugged. "Vic always went to you for advice...I figured you must do _something _right."

Finn snorted. "Yeah, and look at her now. She's a wreck."

Teddy ignored him. "Did you really love him?" he asked.

Grace nodded. "Yes," she said immediately.

"And do you still love him?"

Grace hesitated. "I don't know."

"Then you should find out," he told her decisively. "Before you make any decisions, you need to know how you really feel."

"Who knows," Skylar said hopefully, "maybe you're over that loser."

Finn glanced at Skylar. "For once, I hope you're right."

Teddy rolled his eyes as the carriage came to a halt. Everybody climbed out, and Teddy watched as Grace avoided Collin. She swerved around him, pretending she hadn't seen him at all. Skylar followed her, sticking her tongue out at Collin as she rushed past him, calling Grace's name. Finn had somehow found Sienna, and they were trailing ahead, holding hands.

Teddy stopped to watch them for a second. He wondered what was really going on between the two of them. He'd never seen Finn pursue a girl for this long before. Usually, he got bored of them after more than a few weeks; but this thing with Sienna had been going on for months. Teddy was starting to think that Finn really liked this girl. Maybe she would be the one to change Finn, like Skylar had changed Teddy.

"Teddy, you coming?" Skylar called ahead of him, looking back once she finally caught up with Grace.

He glanced back, waiting for Victoire. "In a minute," he replied, though she wasn't listening, already walking into the Great Hall, deeply immersed in a conversation with Grace.

Victoire was in one of the last carriages. She stepped out after Luke, laughing. Behind her, Matt hopped off, a smile on his face as Victoire hugged him tightly.

"...so good to see you!" Teddy heard Victoire squeal as they came closer.

"You too," Matt replied, giving her one last nod before heading back to his friends.

"Matt?" Teddy questioned once Victoire was within earshot. "Really, Vic? Are we going back to that again?"

She shot him an annoyed look. "I never understood your problem with Matty."

Luke, sensing her anger, mumbled an excuse about wanting to get good seats. "Okay, save me a spot!" Vic called after him as he traipsed through the castle.

"I don't have a problem with Matt," Teddy told her.

"Good."

"I just think you can do better."

"Why is that?"

"I'm not the only one that thinks so, you know," he told her.

Victoire blinked, stunned. "What?"

"Chris used to tell you all the time-"

Victoire interrupted him. "Chris also had the delusional idea that you and I belonged together."

Teddy stared at her. It was his turn to be shocked. "What?"

Grinning smugly, Victoire began to walk past him. "Exactly. Now you know not to listen to Chris when it comes to love."

"Love?" Teddy yelped. "You loved Matt?"

"Of course not. We were thirteen. Obviously, I fancied the bloke, but it was just puppy love."

Teddy sighed, keeping pace with her as she marched into the castle. "Do you still love him?" he asked quietly.

Victoire glanced at him quizzically. "Why are you so interested, anyway?" she wanted to know.

"Because you don't exactly have the best judgement when it comes to people," he said.

Victoire scoffed. "And you do?"

"Yes, I do."

"Teddy, no offense, but you're too nice to be a good judge of character. Why do you think you're the bloody king of this school?"

Teddy rolled his eyes. "I'm not king," he told her firmly as they made their way into the Great Hall, where everybody was waiting for them.

"What took you two so long?" Skylar demanded impatiently.

"Teddy," Victoire offered as an explanation.

"Sorry," Teddy said, taking Skylar's hand as they made their way to the Gryffindor table.

"No worries," Finn said, "I asked the blokes to save us seats."

Victoire stood back, craning her neck around all the people filtering into the Hall. She spotted Luke at the end of the table, chatting with a few girls. Slipping away from her friends, she plopped down beside Luke, who looked surprised to see her.

"Everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied, glancing back. Grace was sitting beside Collin. The two of them were talking lightly, easy smile on their faces.

"You think she'd get back with him?" Luke asked, sounding worried.

Victoire sighed. "I don't think she really wants to."

"But you think she might," Luke asked, sensing the hesitation in her voice.

"He was her first love. Despite everything he did, I think she'd still give him a second chance if he proved he really deserved it." Seeing the apprehensive look on Luke's face, Victoire patted his arm. "Don't worry. I can tell she really cares about you too. You've got just as much of a chance as Collin does."

Once he looked away, VIctoire glanced back at Grace. She had her Collin-smile. It was a special smile, reserved for Collin only. He was the only one ever able to extract it from her.

Worriedly, Victoire wondered if being around Collin again had resurfaced some of Grace's old feelings. Beside her, Luke was already planning on how he was going to ask Grace to be his girlfriend. Victoire just hoped he wasn't too late. She hoped Grace hadn't given up hope on Luke yet.


	19. Patient Love

_And though you will not wait for me_  
_I'll wait for you_

**_-Passenger_**

* * *

Victoire lay on Luke's bed, flipping idly through a Quidditch magazine. "You know," she said, setting her magazine down, "you should try out for the Quidditch team."

Luke, who had been trying on different shirts for the past ten minutes, looked at her. "What? You do realize Teddy's the captain, right?"

"So?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.

Luke stared at her. "And Finn is also on the team."

"What's your point?"

Luke stared at her. "Have you not been around for the past seven years? I've literally had to put protective shields around my bed for my safety. Finn once tried to sneak a snake onto my bed. Thank Godric Teddy woke up before he managed to do it. Do you really think the bloke who tried to kill me with a snake would be willing to pass me the quaffle during a game? It'd be completely pointless if I joined. First off, they probably wouldn't even let me past try outs. And if they did, what are the chances anybody on the team would let me play?"

"Where did he even find a snake?" Victoire asked, shaking her head. "You know, I'm so sick of this stupid feud between the three of you. Luke, you're an amazing Quidditch player, and you love the sport. Why should a stupid rivalry keep you from joining the team?"

Luke shook his head. "It's just not worth it."

"Pussy," she muttered, going back to her magazine.

Luke glared at her. "Fine. Why don't _you _join the team? I've seen you play, remember? You're brilliant, but I don't see you rushing to join!"

Victoire shrugged. "I never thought about it."

"Maybe you should."

Grinning, Victoire sat up. "Fine, if you promise to try out, then I'll promise to try out too. Deal?"

Luke looked conflicted. "Fine," he finally grumbled. He turned back to the mirror. "Now, help me out. Blue shirt or red shirt?"

Rolling her eyes, Victoire said, "I never realized how in to your appearance you were. It's the first night at Hogwarts! Who have you got to impress?"

"Grace," he told her firmly. "I'm going to find her and tell her exactly how I feel, no matter how lame that sounds."

Victoire shrugged. "Whatever gets you the girl." She bit her lip, studying his appearance. "Blue shirt," she finally said decisively.

He grinned. "Thanks."

The door burst open and Finn and Teddy filed inside, laughing. When they noticed Luke and Victoire together, the two of them froze.

"You're not allowed up here!" Finn hissed, pointing to Victoire.

Luke snorted. "Because you're such a stickler for the 'no girls in the bedrooms' rule?"

Finn balled his fists, his eyes flashing. Thankfully, Teddy stepped in front of him. "Watch it, Bishop. I'm Head Boy, remember?"

Victoire threw the magazine aside and got up.

"Funny how you never play that card when it's your friend bringing up girls every night," Luke snarled.

Victoire blinked, looking at Finn. "Every night?" she questioned.

"Well, not _every _night," Finn said defensively, his face reddening.

She made a face. "You're disgusting."

"And you're not allowed in here," he countered. "Teddy, you're a prefect and head boy. Tell her!"

Teddy glanced at Finn. "Mate, it's just Vic."

"The rules!" Finn cried. "You have been lecturing me all night about how you have to follow the rules now because you're bloody head boy, and now that it's Victoire, you suddenly don't care?"

Rolling his eyes, Luke checked his watch. "I should go," he told Victoire.

She nodded, giving him a hug. "Good luck," she mumbled in his ear.

He gave her a small smile. "Thanks. Not that I need it. Look at me!"

Victoire rolled her eyes, pushing him out the door. "Get out of here."

Gaping, Teddy stared at them. "It's ten minutes until curfew!" he called after Luke as he traipsed out the room. "If you're not back in time, there will be consequences!" he shouted angrily.

Victoire crossed her arms, giving Finn a dirty look. "Why are you such a prat?"

"Me?" Finn scoffed. "_I'm the prat?"_

Teddy held up his hands. "Hey, I tried. I was totally nice to Bishop."

Victoire let out a small smile. "Yes, thank you, Teddy, for not reporting me, despite Finn's wishes."

"You know," Finn said thoughtfully, "Bishop's been acting weird lately."

"_He's the weird one_?" Victoire asked incredulously.

"You know," Teddy said, "you're right. Normally, he would have hexed one of us by now. Especially after you barged in here, yelling at him."

Victoire rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's called being nice."

Teddy and Finn exchanged looks. "Why's he being so nice?" Finn demanded, his eyes widening. "Do you think he's leading us into a false sense of security? Making sure we let our guards down, and then BOOM! Blimey, Teddy what do you reckon he's planning?"

"You bloody idiots," Victoire groaned. "Luke is putting up with your rubbish because I asked him to."

"What?" Teddy said blankly.

"Yes, unlike you two pricks, he values my friendship enough to be nice to the people I care about."

Finn looked uncomfortable. "We value your friendship, Vic, but you want us to fraternize with the Enemy Number One! It's just not right...it's not natural..."

"You don't have to be friends with him, just don't go instigating more problems."

Teddy and Finn exchanged fleeting looks. In that small moment, Victoire could tell they had held a small conversation. She had always been amazed by how well those two boys knew each other, like they could read the other's mind with just a glance. With a wave sadness, Victoire remembered when it was her and Teddy that could do that.

"Fine," they both agreed.

Beaming, Victoire hugged both boys tightly. "I bet you'll all be friends by the end of the school year!"

"Maybe when pigs fly," Finn muttered.

"I know somebody who can make that happen," Victoire said suddenly, remembering James and Fred's excitement at the Burrow.

"Yeah, all they need is a wand," Teddy said, winking at Victoire.

Victoire grinned, rolling her eyes at him. Finn looked between the two of them. "Right, well, I think I'm going to go down and find Sienna..."

Once Finn was gone, Teddy turned to Victoire. "Where was Bishop going anyway?"

"None of your business."

Teddy pointed to himself. "Head Boy."

Victoire pointed to herself. "Girl who doesn't care."

"That wasn't very clever."

"I thought it was."

Teddy smiled. "So, about earlier...you and Matt...I should probably apologize for that too."

Victoire shrugged. "I don't understand why you never liked him."

"It's not that I don't like him. I just thought you were too young to be dating, that's all."

She grinned. "Well, I'm not thirteen anymore."

Teddy looked her up and down. "Trust me, _I know_."

Victoire glanced down at her body, blushing. She knew she was beautiful. She didn't want to be arrogant or full of herself, but it was just something she'd always known. Being part veela, it was understood that she would be beautiful. However, she had never thought Teddy noticed. He'd always been so indifferent towards her looks.

Before she could respond, the door burst open. Skylar came in, looking furious. When she noticed Teddy and Skylar, she paused. "What are you doing here?" she asked Victoire, slightly accusingly.

"I came to see Luke. What's got your wand in a knot?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Grace!" Skylar bellowed, stomping into the room.

"What about her?"

"That dumb twit went to go meet up with Collin!" Skylar screeched, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"What?" Victoire yelped, thinking of Luke.

"I know!" Skylar groaned, plopping onto Teddy's bed.

"She can't do that!" Victoire said, panicking.

"Why not?" Teddy shrugged. "I mean, sure she could do better than Collin, but the heart wants what the heart wants."

Skylar punched his arm. "What the hell's the matter with you?"

Teddy rubbed his arm. "Ouch!"

"We have to stop her!" Victoire cried.

Teddy held her back, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Oh, no you don't."

"Teddy, let her go!" Skylar ordered as Victoire struggled against him.

Teddy loosened his grip on Victoire, but he didn't let go entirely. "Guys, there'a reason she's there."

"Yeah, because she's lost her mind," Skylar exclaimed. "I can't believe she's falling for his tricks again."

"She can do so much better," Victoire agreed, finally managing to push Teddy away.

"Maybe that's what she went to tell him," Teddy reasoned. "Maybe she just went to tell him she's not interested."

Skylar didn't look convinced. "I don't think so."

Victoire felt her hands began to shake. "I have to go find Luke," she muttered.

"_Luke_?" Skylar looked confused. "What for?" she asked as Victoire raced out of the dormitory.

* * *

Grace hadn't come to take Collin back or make up with him. She had only come to get answers; however, she had not expected to find the prefect's lounge decorated with candles and roses. She had not expected to find Collin in there, a box of chocolates in his hand and a hopeful smile on his face.

"I knew you'd come," he said when he saw her.

"I just want to talk," she told him cautiously, slowly stepping forward. "I want answers."

Collin nodded. "That sounds fair."

Grace looked around. It was the first time she had ever stepped into the prefect lounge, and despite the flowers and candles, it was everything she imagined it would be. There were four large desks on each side of the room, one for each house. Each wall was decorated with banners and pictures that represented each house. Spread throughout the room were couches and armchairs that Grace could see herself relaxing on with a good book. And across the room, through the double doors, she could see a large conference room. On one side of the wall, there were rows and rows of shelves lined with ancient books and shiny trophies.

"You like it in here, don't you?" Collin asked, grinning as Grace looked around wide-eyed.

"It's brilliant," she said in awe.

He nodded appreciatively. "I knew you'd love this place."

"How did you even manage to get all of this done?" she asked, gesturing to all the decorations.

He shrugged "I've got some friends."

Grace tucked her hair back nervously. She wasn't sure why she'd come now. All the questions she had, all the things she was going to shout about seemed less important. She could only focus on the sudden jitters that had taken over her stomach.

"You said you had some questions," Collin said, ruffling his hair nervously.

"Yeah...why'd you do it?" she finally managed to ask. She slowly looked up, meeting his intense gaze.

Collin laughed uncomfortably. "Wow...okay, I guess we're starting with that."

"You just wanted to screw other girls," Grace said quietly, remembering all her anger.

He hung his head shamefully. "Not exactly...we'd just been dating so long, and I wanted to see what else was out there, if I was missing out on anything..."

Grace glared at him. "And were you?"

"No. I realized that almost right after we broke up. No other girl even came close in comparison to you. All I did this past summer was think about you and how badly I screwed it up with you. I was so mad at myself. Gracie, we could have had all summer together, but instead, I ruined it. But I don't regret it. You know why? Because it made me realize how much I love you and how much I want to be with you. I will _never _take you for granted again. Okay, Grace? I love you." He stepped forward, holding her hands. "We belong together. You know that."

Grace held her breath. She loved Collin. That was never the question. The question was did she still want to be with him, despite everything. Despite _Luke._

The thought of Luke made Grace pull away. "It's not that easy, Collin. _You broke up with me_. I had to move on. I couldn't keep thinking about you all summer. It would have driven me crazy."

"You moved on?"

Grace gave him a small smile. "Collin, I will _always _love you. You were my first love, and despite everything, I don't regret any of it with you, because for two years, you made so happy. But while you were shagging other girls this summer...I met someone..."

Collin looked stunned. "What?"

"And I really care about him. A lot more than he knows."

"Did you two..."

Grace kept her gaze steady on Collin. "I lost my virginity to him. And before you start yelling at me, let me remind you of all the girls I saw you go home with this summer. Don't even pretend that you're sorry about that, because I know you're not. Just like I'm not sorry either."

Collin stared at Grace, horrified. "Who is he?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does if you really care about this bloke."

Grace managed to look away from Collin, instead focusing on the banner behind him. "You know I love you, Collin, but I can't lie to you and say I don't care about someone else."

"Do you love him?"

Grace felt her eyes water. "No, but I could. One day."

Collin grabbed her, smashing his lips against hers. He wrapped his arms around her waist, and despite herself, Grace kissed him back, pulling him closer. It was a force of habit. Collin had been her boyfriend for years. They had kissed like that for years. It was just something that came naturally to both of them, something that was familiar and easy.

"I'm not saying you have to forgive me right away," he said breathily, pulling away from her, "but at least try and give us a chance."

Grace was aware that Collin still had his arms around her waist. She tried to pull away, but he held her tightly. "I don't know if I want to, Collin. I love you, you know that, but I don't know if I can trust you. I don't know if I can forgive you for breaking my heart."

"We can work on that," he whispered. "Just give me one chance, and I'll earn your trust back. I'll earn your forgiveness. You'll forget all about this other bloke."

Grace thought of Luke. She remembered the thrill and excitement she got by being around him. She remembered how electrifying his kisses were. Kissing Collin a few seconds ago wasn't thrilling or exciting. It was very nice, of course, but it was predictable. It was the same way he had been kissing her for years.

But she wasn't sure if she wanted excitement anymore. At this point, with everything going on with Chris and Victoire and her family, Grace needed stability. She needed somebody that would be there for her, that would admit his feelings for her without shame.

As much as she wanted Luke to be that person, she had to be realistic. That wasn't who he was, and it wasn't fair of her to want to change him. He was a great bloke. Really, he was, and it was a shame people couldn't see it. But that was his choice. If he wanted everybody to think he was a prick, then that was his call. But she couldn't stand to watch it any longer. She couldn't stand to see him act like a moron, when she knew what a good heart he had.

That's why she had to let Luke go. Their relationship was toxic. He made her forget about reality, about logic. When she was with him, she became impulsive and reckless; and that just wasn't her. Grace liked to plan ahead, to have everything in order.

Collin, despite his faults, loved her. And despite everything she felt for Luke, Grace couldn't deny the fact that she still loved Collin. She had missed him over the summer. She missed the way he held her hand under the table and the way he was willing to sit with her for hours while she studied and the way he threw his head back whenever he laughed. Collin was her first love, and she couldn't forget him that easily.

Luke had been a distraction at first. He was merely a way to forget Collin. Grace had never expected to fall so hard for him. She only wished he had fallen as hard for her.

"Grace," Collin said, "what do you say? You wanna give us another shot."

Biting her lip, Grace rested her hands against Collin's chest. "We're going to have to take things slow," she told him. "I don't trust you just yet."

Beaming, Collin wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around. "You won't regret it, Gracie!"

In spite of herself, Grace couldn't help but laugh. She'd forgotten how contagious Collin's energy was. She was always laughing and smiling around him.

* * *

Luke peered through the open door. Collin was spinning Grace around, laughing. For some reason, Luke couldn't force himself to move. He'd never seen Grace smile like that before.

He watched as Collin set her down before gently pressing his lips against hers. Luke didn't want her to kiss Collin back, but she did anyway. She wrapped her arms around him, closing the small gap between the two of them.

A small hand yanked him away. "Luke," Victoire began, her eyes wide, "I am _so _sorry."

"How'd you know?" he asked her quietly.

"Skylar."

"Ah."

The two of them stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to say to the other. Finally, after several moments, Victoire took his hand. "Come on," she mumbled, leading him through the empty corridors.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

She sighed. "I know where Finn and Teddy hide their stash of firewhiskey. I reckon you need a drink tonight."

Luke let out a dry laugh. "Well, isn't Teddy an upstanding Head Boy. Hidden firewhiskey!"

Victoire glanced back at him. "You're taking this a lot better than I expected."

"Taking what better?"

"The fact that you just lost Gracie to Collin," she said bluntly.

Luke stared at her. "Who says I lost?"

"Luke," Victoire said seriously, "I saw them in there..."

Smiling, Luke turned Victoire so that they were face to face. "I'm not giving up, Vic. Collin had his chance. I took Grace from him once, and I can do it again."

Victoire looked like she wanted to protest. "This can't end well," she muttered, shaking her head.

"Maybe not for Collin," Luke said brightly.

Snorting, Victoire pulled him along the ancient hallways. "Come on. Now I'm the one that needs a drink."

He followed her, his mind still on Grace. He knew she still loved Luke, but he wasn't a complete idiot. Grace had feelings for him too. He'd seen the way she'd smiled at him and looked at him last summer. There was something there. And Luke was determined to not let Grace forget about that.


End file.
